Family is my home:Ten
by Tensei Kano
Summary: Running from a home he could not face, Ten leaves everything behind and enters the two towns. -Inactive, discontinued for now-
1. Chapter 1: The two towns

**Disclaimer: I do not own any of these characters, except the name of the main one, along with the names of the animals.**

**The design of the main character is also the same as the male character in the game.**

**This is my fanfiction of Harvest moon: A Tale of two towns, which I find to be the best gmae of the series.**

The sun shone brightly in the distant mountain in between the two towns. Ten wiped sweat off his forehead. He had been travelling since dawn and was beginning to tire, though admitteedly, his spirits were not dampened. He was a brown-haired boy of perhaps 16 years of age, with sparkling blue eyes.

He leaned forward on his horse, hoping the combined weight of his body and his cart would not stress his horse too much. Luckily,his horse Madoka was strong, and kept trotting along at a steady pace.

As the summit of the mountain came in sight, Ten grew excited. He was finally here! For perhaps 5 years, he had planned for this moment. It may have been a strange dream, to be a farmer, but his valley held its charms and he simply couldn't resist.

Suddenly, a raccoon ran on to the track. Ten, taken by surprise, pulled on the reins and swerved off the track. Sudden loss of control told him that he had overturned. He saw a flash of the bamboo forest before his head hit the earthen ground hard. Then, he knew no more.

'...right?'

It had to be a dream. Where was he in this dream? Ah... right... he had travelled on and on... the mountain...

'...you alright? hello?...'

Ten opened his eyes.

In front of him were two people he had never seen before in his life. A middle aged man and woman who couldn't have looked more different from each other

The man, who had a neat suit, green bowler hat and a proud, handlebar mustache spoke, 'Ah! Our friend has regained consciousness! Good, good!' The woman examined him and asked, 'Are you okay? It was quite a shock to find you lying there!'

Ten rubbed the sleep out of his eyes and replied, 'I'm fine, thanks. A few cuts and bruises, but no problem, I think.'

'I don't suppose you could be the young Ten who was going to move into his farm today, could you?' The man asked. Ten nodded, as the rest of his memory came back to him. The raccoon... ahhh... at least the raccoon came to no harm. With a laugh, the man exclaimed, 'Ho ho! I knew it! I am the mayor of the village Bluebell, which is down the path to the right here.' He pointed down the right pathway. 'My name is Rutger. Why don't you come to Bluebell? You'd be very welcome, I assure you!'

The woman, who wore an Asian styled dress with a band holding her hair back, interrupted him. 'Who do you think you are? If Ten lives anywhere around here, it'll be in Konohana!' She coughed lightly and said to Ten, in a different tone, 'Sorry about that, I'd hate for you to make any mistakes. My name is Ina. I'm the mayor of the village down to the right, It's called Konohana. I'm sure life there would suit your better then Bluebell.'

Rutger glared at Ina openly and raised his tone slightly. 'And who do you think YOU are? Konohana? Better than my lovely village of Bluebell? The mere idea is preposterous!'

'Konohana is better than Bluebell any day!' Ina yelled, glaring right back. 'Anyone would know that after a single glance!'

Ten, who was beginning to tire of this constant bickering, cleared his throat to remind them that he was still there. Both Rutger and Ina turned their heads towards him and calmed down, slightly embarrassed of showing such an aggressive side of themselves so early in the introductions.

'Well, which village do you want to live in, Ten?' Ina asked. Ten shook his head. 'I'm sorry, but I have no idea about either of your villages and how they look like. Mind giving me a rundown of each?'  
>Rutger jumped at the chance. 'Of course! Do forgive my bluntness. I'll tell you all about Bluebell.'<p>

'In Bluebell, our lives our centered on livestock. Their glossy coats! Tails swaying in the breeze! Their soft eyes! Cheese, milk and eggs are only a few of the foods we are centered on! In Bluebell, animals are like our lifelong companions. Our village isn't all animals, flowers adorn our cobblestone streets, alongside handsome brick houses. In short, Bluebell is a storybook filled with romantic charm. Doesn't that sound wonderful? Farming is livestock, after all!'

Ina interrupted his description impatiently 'That's absolute nonsense. Farming means crops! And when it comes to crops, Konohana at the top! Now, you'll need to know about Konohana too, won't you?' Ten nodded slowly, absorbing every detail. Bluebell _did_ sound inviting... But he needed confirmation. Ina took charge, 'Alrighty then. Let me tell you all about it.'

'Konohana is nestled in crops. Tender vegetables! Golden waves of grain! Sweet, scrumptious fruit! Crops sprout from our ample fields in all seasons. Raising crops is what life in Konohana is all about! Along out crops, we have a village that's as pretty as can be. The buildings have tiled and thatched roofs that set them neatly apart. And colourful paper lantern hanging on the eaves! That's Konohana for you! '

Ten listened carefully as Ina finished 'You won't find better crops anywhere, Ten.'

'It's time for the big decision, Ten. Which village do you want to live in?' Ten thought deeply about this. His next decision would change his life forever, that was one thing for sure. Bluebell sounded wonderful, but Konohana sounded just as charming.

'No offence, but my decision is... Bluebell.' Ten decided quietly, but loud enough for both Ina and Rutger to hear. 'Of course!' Rutger celebrated loudly 'It was the obvious decision!' Ten smiled sheepishly and said to the crestfallen Ina 'Sorry but... this decision determined my lifestyle from here on out. I'll visit Konohana often anyway.' She smiled and said, 'What's done is done. You can always move to our village anytime if you want.' She walked down the path to Konohana, still slightly down.  
>'Come, young Ten! We mustn't keep you waiting! Lets go to Bluebell!'<br>Ten agreed, feeling the warmth of when you know you made the right decision.


	2. Chapter 2: Bluebell

'Welcome to Bluebell' announced Rutger proudly.

Ten was held spellbound by the beauty and charm of the village. Rutger couldn't have been prouder of his little village. It was simply that; beautiful. The stone paths led to the tranquil, but not lonely, town square, decorated by Mother Nature with pink cherry blossom trees. Rutger, after a moment's savouring of his village, said, 'Come! We must get you to your farm!'

'Hold up.' Ten noted something strange. 'What's that cave over there?'

'It used to connect our village to Konohana...but it's blocked now. You can't go back and forth like you did in the old days.' Rutger said. A moment of strangely wistful silence passed before Rutger snapped out of his reverie and smiled 'Time waits for no one! Don't just stand there! Your farm is this way. Follow me!' Rutger walked on, signalling Ten to keep up. Ten stood for a moment, checking that he didn't just imagine what he just saw, then ran after Rutger.

So no one except Ten saw a flash of a green haired woman disappear right before his eyes, in front of the dark cave.

'We're here. This is your farm, and new home!' Ten almost fainted with pleasure. The quaint, grassy fields swayed in the movement of the southern winds, the house looked large and comfortable, yet fitting for just one person., though it could have nicely fit two or three.

'Well, Ten, what do you want to call it? It's your farm, you name it!' Ten had only one fitting name for the place.

'Bless farm.' He smiled, deciding in an instant. 'A fine name, for what will be a similarly great farm,' Rutger agreed happily. He swung open the wooden door that opened without a creak. Ten gasped. The floor was planked with polished wood, with a rug and table in the centre of the room. a bed and two tables were placed on the left, along with a small kitchen in the right corner. a book that had the title 'Farming recorder' was placed on the bedside table. Ten couldn't have been more pleased.  
>'You really shouldn't stay in those dirty clothes, you know.' Rutger said, handing Ten a set of clothes on a hanger. 'It's a standard Bluebell clothes. Everyone gets these when they start here. Ten thanked him, then examined the beige jacket, with matching red, checked blazer and white collared shirt.<p>

'Well, I'm sure your tired after the long day. Why don't you sleep? It's getting late after all.' Rutger suggested politely. Ten blinked when he realised it had been a full 14 hours since he woke up. 'Thanks Rutger.I think I'll manage till tomorrow.' Ten smiled, shaking Rutger's hand. 'The beginning of a new day!' He agreed. On that note, he waved a cheery 'good night' and swung open the door, whistling as we walked, before the door closed quietly.

_Its been one hell of a day_, Ten thought privately, undressing into his sleeping clothes.  
>Within another minute, he was asleep.<p>

The alarm sounded at 6am exactly. Ten, unlike many people his age, was used to it and got up immediately. Dressing into his new set of clothes, he wondered what he would do today. Perhaps explore the village, introduce himself to the villagers, get to know them.  
>He prepared a light breakfast of toast with apple jam, with a bottle of milk on the side, all store-bought. Even so, thanks to it's freshness, it was absolutely delicious. <em>Alright! <em>Ten decided_. I'm gonna make my products taste better than this!_

A knock on the door, and a familiar voice asked, 'Ten? Are you awake?' Ten opened the door and saw Rutger, looking as sprightly as ever. Ten smiled as he realised 6 am wasn't so early when you were on a farm.

'Hey there, Ten. I came to give you a quick tour of the town, just somethings you should know if your going to live here.'

'Alright, then.' Ten realised it was better for a quick tour than checking the place out for yourself.

Shutting the door behind him, Ten and Rutger strolled to the town square.

'That white chest there is the shipping bin. Put your products in there and I'll send them off to the shops away from this valley. I'll drop by your house every week to give you your earnings.'

'This huge board is the message board. You can post requests here, and take requests from other villagers too!'

'That is Grady's house. He sells pets and loans horses.'

'Over there is Howard's cafe. He lives there with his daughter and friend.'

By the time the tour was over, it was about 9am in the morning. Several villagers passed by and waved to Ten as he walked by.

_Nice people._ He thought.

'So Ten, how do you like Bluebell thus far?.'

'I think its beautiful. I'm sure I made the right choice, coming here.' Ten responded positively.  
>'Excellent!' Rutger beamed. 'Now I think it's time to return to your farm. I need to show you something.'<p>

_What does he need to show me in my farm?_ Ten wondered, though knowing Rutger, he knew it would probably be something pleasant.

'Sorry to keep you waiting.'

Ten was introduced to a new person. Jessica, who was a middle aged woman with light brown hair and was rather plump, ran the Bluebell livestock store.

Rutger waved at the two animals next to Jessica. A cow and a chicken.

'Ten, I thought I'd give you a little house-warming gift.'

Ten stared at the two animals, a bubble of joy rising in his chest. This was just perfect. He could start work withing the next couple of days with this.

Jessica handed him a milker and a brush, 'You'll need these two to work with your animals. 'Brush them every couple of days, they get dirty if you don't. I've put fodder and chicken feed in your storage, so feed them that on rainy days. when it's sunny, just push 'em out into the fields.'

Filing this information away, Ten thanked Jessica and bid her good day as she walked away.

'Well, Ten,' Rutger said slowly, stroking his mustache, 'I'll leave the rest to you! A very good day, and I hope your farm flourishes!'

With that, he waved goodbye and walked on, to the town hall.

Ten walked back inside the house and took his farming tools in the crate he brought with him.  
><em>Time to get to work<em>

_Well that was fast..._  
>It was already one o'clock in the afternoon by the time Ten had brushed, milked and settled his new cow, and left the chicken in the coop. He knew that this was just the beginning, and that he would have to buy more livestock to keep his farm going, but still, he guessed it would only take a couple of hours in total to finish the morning's work, until he got more livestock.<br>_Alright, time to explore!_  
>Walking around the village, he first though to introduce himself to the villagers. Standing in front of a large white house with a horse barn right outside it, Ten tried to remember the name of the house's owner. Was it Gary? Grendy?<br>'Grady is the one who owns this place.'  
>The voice came from directly behind Ten, giving him a reasonably large shock. Turning around so quickly that his neck cricked, he saw a girl his own age with flowing red hair, wearing a farm vest and jeans,<p>

'Excuse me?' Ten blinked.  
>'You heard me. The man who owns the house and the barn is Grady.' The girl seemed to know what he was thinking, for some odd reason. 'You <em>were<em> thinking that, right?' she added, suddenly anxious.

'Yes, I was.' Ten suddenly couldn't stop himself 'I'm sorry, but who are you?'  
>The girl smiled and chuckled 'My name's Georgia. You seem like a mighty fine character yourself, to ask for my name without telling your own.'<br>_Oops.  
><em>'My name is Ten. I'm kinda new around here, and I was hoping to introduce myself to the villagers here.' Ten explained, thinking it was probably best to come out with the truth.

The girl called Georgia nodded, then thought for a few seconds before deciding.

'I've been living here for a couple of years now, I know the folks in this village AND the other village. I can give you a little intro to the folks in this here village.'  
>Ten was a little surprised at first, then gave the offer some consideration. He reeeaaaaly didn't know the people around here...except Rutger and Jessica, of course, then nodded and replied; 'If it's no trouble, I'd like that.<p>

'Follow me!' She said, skipping happily.

Ten smiled slightly, and did just that.


	3. Chapter 3: Introductions

'Howard, meet Ten. He's new here.'

Ten found himself being introduced to a family in the local cafe.  
>Georgia had brought him to a cafe with the imaginative name: Howard's cafe. Inside was a man behind the cafe counter with several sweet-smelling dishes who's name was, predictably, Howard. He somewhat surprised Ten, as he had been wearing make-up and lipstick. After the initial 5 seconds worth of slight shock, Ten found he was a kind-hearted, generous man, so he was able to look past first impressions.<br>'That's great! I hope you enjoy Bluebell! I own this cafe to keep the dough rolling, but it's mostly a hobby turned job.' He explained in a slow, measured tone.  
>'Actually, Howard,' Georgia smiled 'I was hoping to see Laney, to make the introductions.'<br>'Of course! She's up in her room, resting for a change.'

Georgia signalled for Ten to follow her. Ten walked up the stairs with Georgia, feeling slightly elated. A good start to a lot of introductions.

Laney turned out to be another girl around the same age as Georgia, but slightly less spontaneous, with blonde hair wrapped in a hairnet and a red blouse and white towl wrapped around her night-blue skirt. She smiled and introduced herself. Suddenly, as though she had been holding back the question, she asked 'Are you interested in cooking?'  
>Taken aback by the sudden question, Ten didn't respond for a full second before replying.<br>"Well... I'm nothing amazing, but I can do a decent meal.' Ten replied modestly.  
>Laney's small smile widened fractionally and explained that she was a pretty good baker, and a reasonably good cook. Georgia chuckled.<p>

'Good for you, Ten. You two can cook together anytime you want, but right now, we gotta go introduce you to the rest of town!'

The next few hours passed like a blur, speeding by like minutes would. Being introduced to everyone in town was a lot of fun, but it also took a lot of time. By the time Georgia had introduced him to the whole town, It was about 6:30, and the sun had almost gone down.  
>Georgia smiled, gazing at the vibrant sunset disappearing behind the huge mountain between the two towns.<br>'Well, I'm pretty sure you got to meet about everyone...Don't think you missed any.' Georgia told Ten, after the sun had finally vanished, leaving them in velvet-blue darkness.

'Right. Thanks a lot for your help Georgia. I'm sure I'll get along a lot quicker with the rest of the village.' Ten looked down at his watch and froze. _7 o' clock!_  
>'I hate to be rude, Georgia, but I forgot all about my animals. I have to push them in before they fall asleep out in the open!'<p>

Georgia nodded understandingly. 'I know what it's like, I manage my own horse barn after all. Good night then!' She waved, then skipped into Grady's house.  
><em>Grady's house? Huh, she never mentioned <em>_**that**__ in the introduction!_  
>So Grady was her Father...it seemed obvious in hindsight. They shared some similar characteristics, and an obsession with horses, yet Ten couldn't have imagined so half an hour ago.<p>

Ten smiled, then walked back to his farm, whistling.  
>After finally pushing his cow into the barn, chucking the chicken back into the pen and quickly sweeping his house, he felt dead tired. The day tired him out more than the last. This would continue, most likely, for the next few days, until he was finally settled in, and he would keep the money flowing well enough to keep him going.<br>And of course, if he didn't have time to make breakfast, there was always Howard's Cafe.


	4. Chapter 4: The competition

**Writer's note: Sorry for the delay. So much has been going on (I do have a life outside fanfics, it may surprise you to know), but I'll try and release a chapter every weekend, so look out for it!**

Days breezed past after the first two hectic days. Ten had soon fallen into a comfortable routine. Every morning, he would wake up at about 6 to 7 o'clock, at which he would dress himself for the day, preferring to keep in his 'work clothes', the clothes he came to Bluebell in, before he wore his natural Bluebell clothes. Even tending to 1 cow and one chicken took him about half an hour. He would then water his newly grown plants in a little clearing next to his house, hoping they would bear fruit (or in this case, vegetables) soon.  
>He would then take a quick shower and change to his Bluebell outfit, then toss his products (mostly an egg or a bottle of milk) into the shipping bin. At the end of ever week, his fee would be put in his mailbox by Rutger.<br>Then it was time to relax.  
>It became a common sight for Ten to be spotted around Bluebell, whether it was sitting at Howard's cafe, sitting on Grady's fence whilst chatting to Georgia, taking requests off the board, or even asking Ash, Jessica's son, about his farm.<br>But he was never sighted in Bluebell after 4pm, not at least until about six in the evening, when the sun had almost gone down. At this time, he would be hiking in the mountains, either looking for beautiful scenery (or materials like wood and stone), or fishing in a secluded pond that he always had to himself. At about 7pm every evening, he was always sitting in Howard's cafe (except on Thursdays, when Howard and Laney had their day off). After spending about an hour or two killing time, he would get back to his farm to round the day off, push his animals in and go back to bed.  
>It was a simple routine, but it suited Ten.<p>

Until the day of the cooking festival.  
>There came an evening where Ten found the cafe closing as early as 7pm. Laney was just about to shut the cafe for the night when ten knocked softly and poked his head through the door.<p>

"Laney? You don't usually close the cafe this early." Ten asked, confused.  
>"Yes, normally we don't," Laney replied in a voice that suggested she had something to do somewhere else."but with the cooking contest tomorrow, we're shutting down earlier. We normally do, before a cooking competition."<br>"Cooking competition?" Ten was surprised. This was something completely new.  
>"Well, we have 4 cooking contests per season, one for salads, another for soups, one for the main course and the final obviously being desserts." Laney explained. "Tomorrow, I'm competing in the contest, which is the salads one."<br>"Huh. Well okay. We'll be competing against Konohana?"  
>"Yes, but who else is there to compete against? Tomorrow is our win!" Laney said the last sentence with more force than Ten had yet heard her use.<br>"Right. Well, good luck Laney. I'm off, right? See you." Ten ended the conversation and walked out.  
><em>Cooking is sure taken seriously here. I should improve my own cooking skills too.<br>_Ten walked back to his farm to tend to the cows, remembering the words on every shop sign in town. "Closed on festivals".  
><em>Maybe I'll take a look at this contest tomorrow.<em>

And so the day of the cooking festival arrived. Bluebell's entrance was decorated ornately with multicoloured balloons and flowers. Ten, who walked into the Bluebell plaza at about 9 in the morning, noticed these decorations first, and then the town message board, which had a blue notice directly in the middle, next. A cursory glance at the official looking notice which had been hand-drawn, probably by Rutger himself, told him to witness the cooking contest that would take place on the mountaintop at noon.

Ten obliged, walking to his favourite fishing spot. He could kill some time till then.

At exactly 11:30, Ten got up and began his ascent to the top of the mountain. He was coming near to the top when suddenly, he he felt a something cold touch the on the back of his neck.  
>"ACK!"<br>He turned around instinctively, too quickly, and overturned, ending up flat on his back, only to see Georgia, laughing so hard that she couldn't breathe, holding a translucent plastic bottle of cold water.

"Hey! Do you always have to make such a dramatic entrance?" Ten asked weakly.

"I'm sorry...ha ha.. that was..." Georgia couldn't find the breath to make the sentences.  
>"Really?" Ten smiled, beginning to see the funnier side of things.<br>Still chuckling, Georgia continued to walk to the summit, this time with Ten behind her.

"So, what were you doing 'round the pond?" Georgia eventually gathered enough breath to ask.

"Nah, just fishing, killing time." Ten answered honestly "which reminds me, we have five minutes till the competition starts."  
>"You're right!" Georgia exclaim, looking at her red analog watch in shock. "Come on, we're almost there anyway."<br>Finally reaching the top with a minute to spare, the pair spotted Ina and Rutger locked in a fierce glaring match, making it awkward for anyone withing 5 metres.  
>"Ah!" Rutger exclaimed loudly, walking towards Ten. "Ten, you're just in time to see us start the competition! It will be a one-sided battle in our favour, of course."<br>"Who do you think you are?" Ina shouted just as loudly. "Konohana is ready to beat your cooks any day!"  
>Ten sighed and walked out of earshot, which was quite a distance away. He took the opportunity to see who in Konohana was competing. Bluebell contestants were Cheryl, Laney and Eileen, apparently the best cooks in their village.<br>"Attention, contestants and spectators!" Rutger had stopped arguing long enough to announce the opening of the competition. "Please line up in front of the competition tents!" 

"Welcome!" Rutger began his opening speech. "For years, Konohana and bluebell have been locked in a ferocious battle for the answer to the question; which village has the better cooks?"  
>Ina continued "As most know, we manage to secure the finest gourmet, coming from the far Sunshine islands. Let's all put our hands together to welcome Pierre, the gourmet!"<br>A sudden round of applause rose as excitement rose like a palpable cloud. A small individual made his way through the crowd, his golden hair clashing brilliantly with his purple suit and top hat.

"Thank you for the warm welcome!" Pierre laughed in a voice that had yet to break. "Yes, I will be judging the contest."

Ten smiled. Somehow, the judge gave an instant impression of having come from a long line of gourmets and chefs.

"And so, let us begin! Bluebell's contestants will be... Laney! Cheryl! Aaaaaaaaaand Eileen!" announced Rutger.  
>The three stepped out. Laney smiled holding a magnificent looking salad with several slices of brown looking fruit. Cheryl was holding her own salad proudly, yet it didn't look anything more than a few vegetables tossed together in a dressing of Thousand Island sauce. Eileen the carpenter's wasn't looking too great either.<p>

Ina gave a small snort and grinned. "Konohana's contestants will be... Nori! Hiro! Aaaaand Yun!"

An old lady stepped out, followed by a teenage girl in asian clothes and another boy roughly around Ten's own age stepped out, looking proud of their own reasonable salads.  
>Ash, the male farmer who worked on a farm closer to the village, looked discomfited.<br>Ten noticed and asked. "What's wrong Ash?"  
>"Eileen and Cheryl aren't the best cooks. In fact, Cheryl is taking my place because she begged me for it. But... Nori, Hiro and Yun are the strongest cooks in their village in Konohana."<br>Ten's stomach tightened.  
>"And now! Bluebell will begin first!"<br>Laney walked forward and set the dish in front of the gourmet. His eyes widened as he looked at the salad. "Well, presentation is very well done. Laney, talk me through it."  
>"It's my own improvisation of a caramelised pear salad." Laney replied promptly.<br>The gourmet continued to smile and started eating the dish. "Delicious! Very well done!"  
>Laney walked back looking proud.<br>Next, Eileen stepped forward, setting her own dish on the table. "And this is?" Pierre asked, eyeing the dish slightly warily..

"It's a Caesar salad." Eileen said quietly. It seemed she wasn't confident about her own dish either.  
>"Ah. I see." Pierre took a few bites before coming to a verdict. "Um... The dish's seasoning and presentation are both good, the flavour is there however... the chicken is a little overcooked. It's become tough."<br>Eileen thanked him, gathered her dish and walked back silently.  
>Cheryl ran up to the table with her own dish and placed in on the tabletop looking pleased.<br>"This is my own salad. It... doesn't have a name, but it should be nice!" Cheryl piped up.

"Ah. Okay." Pierre gingerly stabbed at the vegetables and ate a mouthful, hiding a slight wince.

"Dear, the idea is there, but try pairing other vegetables. And salad isn't all vegetables, you could at chicken or cheese like Laney did. But it's... a good attempt." Pierre explained, forcing a smile.  
>"And now for Konohana's Contestants!"<p>

Hiro's caprese salad earned a thumbs up from Pierre, Nori prepared a cucumber salad which delighted the judge. Luckily, Yun's salad had the wrong sauce in it.  
>"After tasting both sides, I have finally made a decision of which town is the winner. That town is..."<br>The next 5 seconds seemed to last 5 minutes. The tension was unbearable. You could almost feel the heat radiating from each side, ready for a cry of joy, or defeat. whichever more appropriate.

"Konohana!"  
>Absolute chaos erupted from both sides. As disappointed Bluebell villagers moaned, excited Konohana villagers celebrated loudly. The contest was over.<p>

The sun was already setting as the village started to return to their village. Laney looked close to tears as she walked dejectedly towards her house.

_Ah, well. Next time I'll join myself, alongside our stronger chefs. Wonder why Howard didn't enter?  
><em>"Hey!"  
>The voice came roughly from behind Ten. Hiro, the Konohanan boy who had entered the competition was running towards Ten.<br>"Hey... Hold up..." He was gasping for breath by the time he reached Ten.  
>"I heard that you were a newcomer in this town. We happen to be celebrating our success. Would you like to join us? It would give you an opportunity to introduce yourselves to the villagers." Hiro asked, once he'd regained his breath.<br>Ten considered it. Would it be offensive to the Bluebell villagers? But he DID promise Ina he would visit anyway.  
>"Okay, I'm with you, Hiro."<br>_Looks like the night is far from over._


	5. Chapter 5: Party Confrontations

**Writers****note****:****OKAY****! ****Really****sorry****, ****guys****, ****my****life****just****sped****up****half****to****hell****and****I****haven****'****t****been****able****to****keep****up****! ****So****many****academic****things****xD****. ****ANYWAY****! ****To****answer****a****recent****PM****, ****this****fanfic****'****s****aim****is****to****be****VERY****different****from****others****. ****Instead****of****the****usual**** '****few****chapters****of****plot****, ****a****few****twists****, ****the****end****', ****I****aim****to****be****an****almost****continuous****fanfic****that****I****will****try****to****keep****going****for****, ****like****an****actual****harvest****moon****book****! ****And****so****, ****ONWARDS****!**

The colourful lights shined brightly from the paper lanterns in Ten's eyes. The delicious aroma of a cultural feast wafted by his nose. Loud celebrations echoed in the Konohana town hall.  
>Ten smiled. This really wasn't a bad place. Yes, he preferred Bluebell, that wasn't to say he didn't like Konohana. The oriental village held its charms.<p>

'Ten? You can always have a seat, you know.'  
>Ten spun around to see Hiro holding out a glass of sparkling red grape juice.<p>

'Thanks.' Ten walked with Hiro to a nearby table. Sniffing the glass, Ten asked, 'This isn't the same grape juice as you get in the city, is it?'  
>Hiro smiled. 'Nobody here likes that sort of drink. Far too sweet and detrimental to your health! No, this is freshly made, without the several kilos of concentrated sugar.'<p>

Ten thanked him and took a sip and choked.  
>'Hiro... I don't mean to be rude, but this ain't grape juice... it's red wine, and I'm not so good with alcohol...'<br>Hiro looked surprised, then confused, then exasperated. 'Kana! Did you do that?' He yelled at another teen in the corner, who happened to be laughing too hard to deny the accusation.  
>"Kana" was a tall, muscular boy who looked about 17, and was very muscular. 'Sorry, man! My way of a little hello!' he chuckled, still finding his joke funny.<br>'That wasn't funny, Kana! Ten isn't good with alcohol, what if he drank it and actually got drunk!' Hiro was fuming.  
>'Yeah, yeah, I get it Hiro. Sorry, Ten. Now will you let me off the hook?' Kana ruffled Hiro's hair and lightly pushed him away.<br>Ten smiled. The scene reminded him briefly of the sibling rivalry he used to share with his brother. But he couldn't see his brother anymore. He couldn't go home now, not after...  
>"Ten? Is something wrong?" Hiro looked at him, concerned. Ten realised his face was wearing a rather wistful expression, then quickly shook off the mood and smiled lightly.<br>"It's nothing. Just a couple of memories. Nothing to worry about." replied Ten, smiling reassuringly. That seemed to satisfy Kana, but something in Hiro's face seemed to tell Ten that he knew it was more than 'just a few memories.'  
>Regardless of this, the meal went on satisfyingly. The bamboo dumplings were unexpectedly delicious, the apricot balancing the sour-salty flavour of the bamboo, the slightly sticky dumpling skin rounding the dish off with a clean aftertaste. The grilled mackerel was filled with rich, thick meat that left everyone wanting more.<br>"Who made the mackerel?" Asked Ten "It's brilliant!"  
>A teenage girl in a simple white oriental dress that Ten knew to be a Kimono smiled at him.<br>"That would be me. It's truly not that hard, and can be made in 20 minutes." She said quietly, smiling as shyly as she was modest.  
>Ten smiled and thanked her for bringing this dish. She blushed slightly, but seemed reasonably happy, then walked away. Ten looked at her, slightly concerned whether he had offended her, then realised she was fine and sat back down.<br>Hiro answered Ten's unspoken question. "That's Nori. She's been here ever since she was born... like most of us here." For some reason, Hiro's faced was slightly flushed as he talked about her.  
><em>Seems<em>_Hiro__here__has__got__a__little__crush__on__Nori_ Ten thought, slyly hiding a smile.

The old lady from the cooking competition that Ten remembered as 'Yun' sat down on the table about two feet to the right of their own, overhearing her reproachful comments about 'Mako's' honey wine being far too powerful.

And the night went on.

'Alright, everyone! Tomorrow is just a busy day as any, so we really must wrap up the party."  
>Ina's loud voice boomed across the hallway, regardless of the lack of microphones and speakers.<p>

Ten finished the last of the Fruit Shiratama and piled his plates up. Before he moved to the valley, he was considered a somewhat 'big eater'. Not here. Here, his stack of empty plates only matched Hiro's, Kana's being easily twice as tall, with a total of 14 plates and two dessert cups to top.

By the time everyone had begun to scatter in different directions, away from the town hall, Ten was chatting to Hiro outside the clinic.  
>"Are you sure you don't want to borrow one of Kana's horses? He can get you home you know."<br>"Nah, I'll be fine. The mountain's only half an hour's walk. I can manage."  
>Hiro hesitated, then reluctantly let the subject drop. "If you're sure then..."<br>Hiro stepped in and shut the door.

_Nothing__like__a__midnight__stroll__, __I__guess__._

Ten was glad to walk past the cobblestone gates of Bluebell. It really was quite cold at night around here. Luckily, the Bluebell outfit he had been wearing warded off most of the cold effectively.

Ten stopped and gazed at the sleeping village. Only a week, he had stood at this spot for the first time and found this place a thriving wonder. Now, the village was different. Not unpleasantly so, it still held a quiet sort of charm, but definitely different.

"Ten."

The voice came directly from behind. Ten's heart leaped into his throat. He whipped his head back so fast, you could hear a quiet crack as he turned.

Laney was still standing there in the light of the lamp post, leaning against a wall.  
>Ten's heart fell back into his chest. "What's wrong? Aren't you supposed to be asleep this time of night?"<br>Laney stepped towards him. In a voice of no warmth, she replied "I could ask you the same thing. Where have you been? Why you over there at THAT village?"  
>Ten's heart continued to fall, right past his chest into his stomach.<br>"Well... you know, I'm still new here, I wanna get to know the people around-"  
>"Around that place? Then why did you move here? Why didn't you move there?"<br>Ten could not answer. What was there to say?

"You'd better think about where your loyalties lie, Ten!" Laney whispered in a furious hiss. With that, she marched away into the darkness.  
>Ten walked slowly back to his house, suddenly not feeling as content as he was 5 minutes ago.<p>

_Yeah__, __I__screwed__up__majorly__right__there__... __Tensei__, __you__gotta__watch__what__you__do__!_

With that in mind, he spent an almost sleepless night trying to get to sleep.

**And****end****! ****That****was****a****fairly****different****chapter****! ****No****story****is****interesting****without****the**** "****Oh****my****god****what****have****I****done****" ****moment****, ****is****it****? ****Yeah****. ****If****you****haven****'****t****noticed****, ****I****put****Ten****'****s****full****first****name****in****the****last****couple****of****lines****. ****Never****got****round****to****mentioning****it****in****the****story****.**

**See****you****next****chapter****!**


	6. Chapter 6: Reconcilation

**Writer's note: And back again! Sorry for the squashed text in the writers note last time around, I don't know WHY that happened, but it did~**

**Hendrixthecow: Yeah, I don't really like conflict either, but that's my initial impression when I started TOTT. But do read on, I plan on SOME bridging between the two towns, why else is Tensei here for? :D**

**And with that out of the way, we shall continue!**

After a largely sleepless night in which he only manage to sleep at about 3 in the morning, Ten got up 3 hours later. It took him a minute to realise why he felt so glum, when the night's events rushed back to him.  
><em>Riiiiight... I've got to fix <em>_that__ today, haven't I?  
><em>That, of course being the little argument with Laney. It took Ten about 5 seconds to figure out how to make it up to her.

First thing he did, like he did every other morning, was fix himself breakfast. After last night's culinary feast, he certainly had some new ideas to keep him motivated. But for now, he didn't have the ingredients to prepare himself his wanted dishes.

_But hey, I'm not going anywhere anytime soon, I can do this as time goes by.  
><em>As he fixed himself some honey on toast served with a little cup of orange juice. As he chewed his toast, a discomforting thought hit him. Laney had found his little mistake as a sort of betrayal. What about the rest of the village? Did they hear about it? If they did, what would they think of him now?  
>Ten quickly ran through his mind. Who lived in Bluebell that would not be particularly amused by this? Ash? Maybe he'd be fine with that. Would he? He was practically Ten's best friend now, next to Georgia anyway...<br>_Georgia!_

Ten's stomach dropped into queasy hell. Georgia may not like that very much. She was easily excited, and was always talking about how she hated Kana. Did she feel like that about the whole of Konohana? Would she too hate him for going to the Konohana feast last night?

Ten groaned. _Only one way to find out, after all._

After more farmwork and little time in his house, Ten finally got out of the farm. The village suddenly seemed a lot less cheerful to him. He checked his watch: 2:30pm. Fine. In fact, he'd finished a little later than normal, but then again, It would be odd if he'd finished on time, what with the little project he'd worked on.

Ten walked into the village, to find Georgia sitting on the fence, looking as cheerful as ever, staring dreamily at the horses in her field. Despite all that had happened, this familiar scene brought a little ease to Ten's mood a little.

It took a lot more courage than normal to call out Georgia's name. But eventually, he managed.  
>"Heya Georgia!"<br>She turned her head and smiled.  
>"Hey Ten! Today sure is a beauty!" Georgia replied.<br>"Sure is." Ten, for the first time that day, looked up at the bright sky. It was indeed a clear, blue day. "Can I talk to you for a minute?"

"You mean like we are now?" Georgia chuckled softly. "If you got something to say, just spit it out, 'kay?"

"Okay..." Thinking of how to explain the story, he paused. "I went over to Konohana last night..." He didn't look at Georgia. He couldn't. "And I know that Konohana and Bluebell kind of take their rivalry seriously. But I just wanted to meet the people around this area. It wasn't anything about preference..."

A full beat's silence. Maybe two.  
>Then Georgia shrugged. "Yeah, it's no big deal, really."<br>Ten looked up from his shoes and stared at her.

"I'm sorry, maybe I didn't explain that right, let me start aga-"

"Ten, I heard you." A simple sentence, but it got the message across. "I know what you think about our rivalry, but it's really no big deal. I mean, I gotta go over to Konohana sometimes to get veggies for dinner, it's okay, not bad. I kinda see what you're getting at, the people are nice there. 'Cept for Kana!" She finished with a contemptuous huff.  
>Ten laughed and released the breath that he didn't know he had been holding. It felt great to know that the first words he'd heard after his run-in with Laney were words of comfort and understanding.<p>

"Why'd you think I'd be upset?" Georgia asked, sounding a little curious.  
>"Well, Laney certainly was..."<br>Ten spent the next ten minutes explaining what had happened last night.

Georgia, surprisingly enough, was smiling slightly.  
>"Ah, so that's why. Ten, you gotta understand. She's one of <strong>the<strong> best cooks in the village. She'd have to be a little on the cranky side."  
>"Right. Thanks then, Georgia." Ten waved "I gotta say sorry to her anyway." And walked back. had he stayed any longer, he would have noticed Georgia muttering "Say sorry 'bout what...?"<p>

A knock on the door of the Cafe.  
>It was six in the afternoon when Laney rushed down to the door.<p>

"Hello, sorry about tha-"  
>Ten was stood at the door.<br>"Laney? Could we talk?"  
>Laney paused, then looked back at the Cafe. It took her about two seconds to decide what to do next. "Dad, could you be at the counter for a bit? I'll be back in less than 5 minutes!"<br>Laney walked with Ten to the outdoor tables  
>"Look Laney, I-"<br>Laney interrupted. "It's not your fault." Ten just stood there. "I was really mad last night, but not because you went there to celebrate, you probably just wanted to meet the prople and see what they were like."

More silence, which Laney broke. "There's really nothing to be mad about, I was just a little depressed about the competition. What's done is...Ten what is that?"  
>Ten held a steaming bowl of soup in front of Laney.<br>"Um..." Laney was confused.  
>Ten explained. "It's minestrone. I wanted to say sorry about last night, and to ask what you thought about this."<p>

Laney was rather surprised. Regardless, she took the spoon and sipped the contents.  
>It was brilliant.<br>"The next competition is ours. Bluebell _will_ be the next winners. I can guarantee that." Ten whispered, deep blue eyes lit with a new determination. Confidence and pride was blazing in his chest. The next competition would be a hard fought battle. For both sides.

**For those who didn't get my message, This fanfic will HOPEFULLY be updating weekly, every weekend at GMT+8. :D**

**Update: Sorry guys! Exam week. Chapter 7 coming next week!**


	7. Chapter 7: The promise

**Y'all! Sorry about all the delay! New videos to plan, Exam week delayed on of the week, but since this week is a holiday, I'm going to make it up to you guys!**

**This week, I will post 2 chapters, this being the first. That should do it! Now, cue, cameras on Tensei!**

"The next competition is ours. Bluebell _will_ be the next winners. I can guarantee that."  
>It was ten o'clock at night, and Ten was thinking back to the promise he'd made. It felt pretty good to get back on talking terms to Laney within 24 hours of the problem actually arising. Ten glanced at the calendar. It wasn't the ordinary calendar, as every page on it was 91 days long, Spring, Summer, Autumn and Winter, a page for each season. It was the type of calendar the people in these valleys used. At first Ten honestly thought that it was a stupid idea. But in hindsight, Ten now couldn't think what a farmer would do with the average calendar. Apparently, every leap year, Spring was 92 days instead of 91, to keep the quarter of a day in check.<br>Ten's finger traced the calendar's days, each day that had passed seemed only yesterday, yet Ten had been here at least 24 days. One cooking festival every 23 days, which gave him a bit of time before the next competition to improve his Minestrone. In fact, when Howard tasted it, he had pointed out some errors and some ways in which he could improve. It seemed he had a long way to go.

Ten thought back to home. The home he was in before Bluebell. The home he had run away from to avoid the terror of living with... that man. The one who'd ruined what was left of his life... Thinking back, all he could do at the moment was fervently hope that his brother and sister were fine.  
>Shaking himself, he dressed himself in his night clothes and slept compared to the last night, well.<p>

"Say Ten, how's your farm going?"  
>A simple question, but Ten faltered before answering Georgia.<p>

"It's... alright. Why'd you ask?"

It was late afternoon, and Ten and Georgia were chatting, as usual, by the benches just outside of town, for a change.

"Oh, I dunno. It's just that you always seem to be getting wrapped up in some situation or other, and I always wonder how you have time for your farm. Not to say you're real slow taking care of your animals or anything, but you know, a girl's gotta know some things, right?"  
>Ten considered it. "To be honest, it was pretty tough until Ash started helping me. Heck, I think I almost scared the life out of my cow when it thought I was going to stab it instead of milk it. But then, Ash gave me something that helps speed things up a little."<br>He pulled out a simple, but bright metal bell out of his backpack. Giving it a little shake, it rang out a sweet-sounding, clear note.

Georgia stared at the bell for a full 5 seconds. "Hey!" She exclaimed suddenly. "I've been asking Ash for a solution to my horses for about 5 years now, and he hasn't even MENTIONED a bell!"  
>Ten couldn't help smiling at that. "Well, either way, I've got a bell now, and that's how my work is sped up. If you really want it, you could always borrow it from me. I don't really NEED it, I can work alone.<p>

Georgia's head snapped up at that."Really? Aw, that would be great!"

Ten sighed. "Still, even with the bell, it's a lot of work, farming."  
>Georgia agreed "It's gotta be! My hands are always full, even though I only got horses to tend to! But, I never hear a word of complaint outta you. You must be amazing, Ten!"<br>Ten felt kind of awkward, being praised so obviously. "Yeah well, it's hard, but it's something you can pick up pretty quickly, if you want to. Once you've started, it's smooth sailing from then on."

Georgia was silent for a moment. She looked up at the sky, then gasped. The sun was already setting.  
>"Aw, heck. It's already late, gotta push the horses in! Bye, Ten, gotta go!" With that, she leapt off the bench.<br>Ten glanced at the place where she sat. "Ah, hell. Georgia! Don't be so eager that you-"  
>But she had already disappeared. Ten trailed of the rest of the sentence. "-forget your bell behind..."<br>_Oh well. I better get home, she can borrow it tomorrow._

**Well, that wraps this one up. Hey give me a break, I know it's short. Either way, that scene was my take on Georgia's purple flower event.**

**Come back this Saturday for Chapter 8!**


	8. Chapter 8: And the rain kept falling

**Aaaaaargh! I'm REALLY sorry guys, but I'm beginning to think that my deadlines are getting a little ambitious. Which is why I'll be releasing chapters...when I feel like it! What I can say for sure is, I won't go on those stupid hiatuses like the one I had between Chapter 4 and 5. But I can't make it EVERY week. I might, but don't push me.  
>Oh, and another thing... the guy that reviewed me and said not to worry about grammatical mistakes, please point some out to me in a PM. I can't find them all! But I'll correct them when I do!<strong>

**One last thing (bear with me, almost done). I'm changing the theme of this to romance/friendship because it just ain't a good HM story without a little love, eh?  
>FINALLY! C'mon, Ten! Do something interesting!<strong>

BOOM.

Thunder, the bane of every meek farm animal. It forces them to cower in their barns and coops. Unfortunately, that meant any thunderstorm occurring in Bluebell more often than not ended disastrously to anyone who owned an animal, which was basically more than half the town.

Ten had expected harsh weather when the radio mentioned that a large thunderstorm was on the way, but not to this extent. If Ten dared to open the window more than a centimetre, winds narrowed themselves into the crack, making the room's temperature drop a whole degree in less than a second.

_Ah hell. I have to feed and milk Art too..._

That referred to his well kept cow that was currently trying to compress itself into the barn wall.

So he put on a thin, but waterproof plastic coat, grabbed his umbrella and opened the door, running outwards to get the worst of it over and done with. Outside, it was still 7:00 in the morning, and the rain added to the darkness, so that you couldn't even see three metres ahead unless you had a torchlight as powerful as the lightning flashing menacingly in a field 5 kilometres away.

Ten was a little surprised to find the wind seemed to be pushing him towards Art's barn. Which of course meant that the way back to his house would be made harder by the furious winds against him.

So he made it in and shut the barn door. Leaning against it as though it would help keep the rain out, he sighed a breath of relief before noting Art's terrified form in the corner of the room. Ten walked over, stripping the poncho off and patting the terrified cow. It looked cautiously around the barn room, as though lightning could hide itself in the walls, before calming down and giving a slightly more relaxed moo. Ten patted it again, scrubbed it, milked it and tossed fodder into the feed box.

Ten turned around and started. His dog Chiba had just appeared there, soaking wet. How on earth...? He sighed. Yeah, one crazily devoted dog. Ten was about to pick Chiba up before...

BOOOM!

Before that happened. Chiba went crazy, jolting up, somersaulting and landing on his back feet, then bolted off as fast as the sound of thunder that had shocked him so much.

Ten stared, then groaned. Just what he needed, an excuse to go out in this inane weather. Then again, Ten couldn't let the dog run off in the rain just like that.

He hitched the poncho tighter, then ran out into the dark abyss.

Chiba ran out into the depths of the storm, terrified out if his wits, running, just running.

Through the darkness, amidst the chaos, Ten's voice rang out if the endless showers.

"Chiba! Here boy! It's alright, just come here and you can rest in the house, I'll get you a warm blanket and we can-"

Ten received a blow to the knees as Chiba tackled him. Trying to regain his balance, he pinwheeled before slipping in the mud and falling down, face first in the dirt.

Ten swiveled straight back upwards and grabbed his dog before it could cause any more trouble. And it had already caused plenty of that!

Ten got up and held Chiba firmly, realizing the wild chase had led him nearer to the gates of Bluebell. Not too far away, Ten could make out the silhouette of the shipping bin.

But Ten could make out another silhouette, just. Something past the gates of Bluebell.

Something. No... Some...one?

Ten made his way to the shadow that slumped down by the gates. He would never forget what he found there.

A limp body seemed to be slumped against the stone-brick gates. It was dressed in a vest, green pants, with long flowing red hair.

GEORGIA?

It took Ten another 5 seconds to absorb the shock, before his instincts kicked in. He checked her pulse - a slow beat. Another check for external injuries - none. Then he took of his poncho and wrapped it around Georgia.

Only one thing to do.

Ten lifted her and carried her in the easiest way possible, bridal style, Then rushed home, unconsciously hoping that Chiba would have the sense to follow him.

Back in the warm. Around 9 in the morning, and the storm showing no sign of stopping. Well, at least it's finally light out. Chiba followed him meekly, as though ashamed of the trouble he had caused. Then again, if it wasn't for him, Georgia would still be stuck in the rain.

Examining the still unconscious Georgia, Ten began to wonder what on earth she was doing out in this insane storm, unconscious too. She would probably explain herself after she had woken up anyway, and if she didn't... Well, it was her choice.

Ten dried her the best he could, using numerous towels, then tucked her into his bed. A call would have to be made to the Konohana Clinic. The oriental village has to put aside their rivalry for something as serious as this. Rivalries have limits.

Right?

The downpour seemed to suddenly disappear, as though banished by the sun itself, around 3 in the afternoon. The air outside was thick as the sun came out to evaporate the puddles of water, causing steam and vapor everywhere.

Ten rode out to Konohana, as Georgia slept on. There was something wrong here. If she had been normally asleep, she probably would have woken up hours ago.

I hope Hiro and Ayame aren't on their day off.

The ride through the mountain seemed to take longer than normal, but it was just Ten's imagination. Konohana came in sight as soon as Ten passed the first bamboo trees. Spurred on by this, he kneed his horse to a faster gallop. Hiro said he was with Doctor Ayame... Now where was her clinic? Ten had no idea. Instead, he dismounted and knocked on the first door he saw. The burly, muscular teenager from the night of the Konohana party, Kana, came out.

"Oh hey! Err..." he visibly struggled in remembering Ten's name. "Nine?"

Ten sighed. "It's Ten. Now, before you launch into a long greeting of how long it's been since the party, I need to know where Ayame's clinic is. Someone from my village is sick."

Kana's attitude changed from foolish to concerned in less than a second. Despite his personality, it seemed he knew when to have fun and when to get serious. "Down the road, past the shipping bin and second on the right. Need me to come with?"

"It's fine. Thanks for the directions." Ten ran down the road, quite forgetting that he'd left his faithful horse right there, outside the house. A wooden building with a sign bearing the red cross on it was directly to his right. Not bothering with the gate, Ten hopped straight over the bushes, in front of the door and pushed it open.

Hiro was sitting there, at the desk, shocked to see Ten rush in so hastily. "Ten! It's a pleasure to see you, but what did you run all the way here for?"

"Georgia's a little unwell. Where's Doctor Ayame?

"She's out for the day." he replied regretfully. "I don't think it's any good looking for her on her day off. She just disappears."

Ten's stomach sank. Who else could help her? He made his choice. "No good waiting for her, Hiro, grab the first aid kit. If Ayame's out, you'll have to do."

"H-hold up," he stuttered. "Ten, I understand you're worried, but you shouldn't be telling me to fix someone up! What if I make a mistake and-"

Ten did not have time for this. "Look, you're an apprentice doctor. How are you gonna ever be a full-fledged one if you keep hesitating?" He challenged Hiro brusquely.

_It may be a little harsh, _Ten though, _but I can't leave Georgia without a doctor._

Hiro looked as though Ten had struck him, then recomposed himself. "O-of course, Ten. I'll get the kit, you fetch your horse... you did ride him here, yes?"

Ten nodded, then remembered he'd left at Kana's front door. "Meet me in front of Kana's house in a minute. He walked out, since Ten couldn't run anymore. He had a stitch in his chest, but he walked on, nonetheless. Hiro joined him just as he'd made it to the horse with a satchel strapped to his back.

Without a word, they mounted the horse. Ten steered and kneed his horse to a quick trot. Hiro shifted, trying to gain a position of slightly better balanced. Ten nodded and kneed his horse to a kind of slow gallop. He neighed loudly, but Ten stuffed a treat into its mouth and it carried on silently.

"...and that's what happened."

Hiro and Ten sat in Ten's house, looking on at Georgia. Ten had explained the morning's events, while Hiro sat in a lotus position, in order to absorb the facts quicker. A minute's silence as Hiro organised the facts in his mind. It occurred to Ten that despite Hiro being as old as he was, he was very, very smart. Almost like a prodigy, absorbing facts almost as quick as they were displayed.

"Alright..." Hiro sighed. "She has a slight cold, and her temperature is slightly below average. But if she was in the storm, that's no surprise. I think there was a mix of stress, more than just overworked stress... Something emotional. And that's something only she can tell us. For now, the first aid kit is unnecessary. A bit of rest will do her more good than any medication I could give."

Ten sighed. So she was going to be alright... At least, physically. Hiro added warningly "But... I think for her own safety, She shouldn't be moved until she is absolutely alright. We don't know whether there will be repercussions."

"Alright. Thanks for your help. And... Sorry about what I said. I was panicking, so I said what I did to get you to-"

Hiro waved his apology off. "It's fine. In a way, you were right. I need to come out of this shell if I am to be a doctor." Hiro suddenly looked a good deal less serious, as though coming out of his 'doctor' mode and returning to his normal happy self.

"Well, I'd better get back." Hiro smiled and stood. "Ayame will slaughter me if she finds out I left the clinic unattended for a couple of hours!"

Ten nodded and Hiro left silently, hitching the first aid satchel onto his back.

It was already the evening of a very tiring day. Ten walked over to the stove and began to prepare dinner. He would tell Grady what had happened when Georgia was actually awake. It would help to have the person in question conscious to explain the situation.

Night. Ten was reeeaally tired now. The particularly stressful day was not relieved by the fried fish he had made himself from his previous day's fishing spree. He slipped himself into a plain nightshirt and prepared himself for a night on the floor, since Georgia had taken his bed. It wasn't as bad as it sounded. Really, it wasn't. He was about to drift off to sleep when...

"urgh...whuh?" Georgia shifted a little, visibly awake, but suffering from a heck of a headache.

Ten got up immediately, thoughts of sleep banished from his mind. He smiled worriedly and whispered to her, "Are you alright?"

"Where in the heck am I?" she asked, though slightly quiet, definitely confused.

"My house. You collapsed at the Bluebell gates." Ten knew better than to barrage her with questions. "Hiro was here helping me take care I'd you just now. He left a few hours ago."

Georgia sat up quietly. Then, without any warning whatsoever, tears began leaking from her eyes. She began sobbing before Ten could even ask what was wrong. "I-I'm sorry b-bout this." she whimpered, looking completely unlike the kind, outgoing girl Ten has known for the past month.

"Look, Georgia. I have no clue what's going on, but don't tell me about it tonight. We'll both have a chat tomorrow, when you're feeling better. But for now, I'll be here for you."

Georgia looked up at Ten's face, then hugged him tightly, burrowing her face into his chest. Ten blushed slightly, then hugged her back lightly, knowing she would be finished soon.

Hours later, she had fallen asleep on him. But Ten did not prise her off, even though he knew how to, without waking her. Because he had fallen into a sleep just as deep.

**Chapter finish! Hell, that was a long chapter! My longest yet! Stick around next chapter! Things get a little juicier. ;**

**Bet you didn't think Hiro was such a serious character till now! I made him a little more interesting. I didn't like the idea of "He's cute, and a little smart, that's it." So I added a little flair to his character. ^^**


	9. Chapter 9: Georgia's secret

**Another chapter, another day. What did I tell ya? I can't make it every week. I though I'd finished it last weekend, but the plot looked weird if I did that, so I remastered the whole chapter. I think it's the longest one yet!**

**And soon, I WILL change chapter 4 back to normal! It's almost illegible!  
>Before we begin, I'd like to say that something in isn't working right. Normally, I separate time periods by putting 10 stars. Y'know, Shift+8.<br>But that isn't working. Fanfiction renders it invisible, So I'm going to have to seperate time periods another way.**

**Chapter 9: Georgia's secret**

"Mmph... Whoh... Huh?"

Georgia's mind was slow to start. Although she was normally fine with waking up at about 6 or 7 in the morning, she was having trouble on this particular day.

Why? She tried to remember the details. Hmmm...

"Awake yet?" A familiar voice rang out. Georgia opened her eyes.

Ten was looking down at her. He was in nightclothes, so it seemed that he himself had only just woken. But why was Ten in her house? Or was it the other way round. Why was he looking DOWN at her anyway?

Georgia lifted her head and looked at where she was. She was shocked to find where she had been sleeping, which, if you don't remember, was Ten's lap.

She blushed furiously and pushed herself to her feet. "Wh-! Ho-! TEN!"

She yelled, trying to hide embarrassment and replace it with anger, but failing to do so since her anger was fuelled by the embarrassment she was trying to hide.

"What?" He asked, confused. Then realisation struck him and he flushed just as red, if not deeper. "It's not my fault! It's not like I wanted you to sleep like that!"

Georgia managed to stop herself yelling even louder than before for long enough. She began to remember the events of the past couple of days. Then she recalled last night, and her emotional breakdown. She breathed heavily through her mouth, trying, but failing, to rid herself of her blush. "Look," she commanded, "what happened last night, and what happened this morning ain't gonna leave this room, you hear?"

"Okay, okay!" Ten was pretty embarrassed to begin with, but then again, you don't push off a sobbing girl in the midst of her recovery from a cold.

She managed to calm down and remembered what happened, word for word, the events of last night. "Alright. Later, I'll stick to my word and tell ya what's been going on. I still haven't forgiven you about last night!" She sighed. "But for now, how much longer will it be till breakfast?"

Ten smiled. She was fine.

**8:00 am. Ten's table.**

Georgia munched on her breakfast, satisfied. Toast, omelette and milk, as good a breakfast as she had ever eaten. "Wow, Ten. Your cooking is pretty good!"

Ten smiled, frying up his own breakfast, which was basically the same. "You're welcome." With that, he served up his own omelette and toast, bringing it to the table.

"Now, we need to get a couple of things worked out, Ten. Does my dad know of any of this?"

Ten had been expecting these questions. "Alrighty then. Hiro told your dad about this, and he's been told not to mess with you until you're better. Judging by the way you woke up, I'd say you're fine now." He finished cheekily.

Georgia's face was dusted with pink. "Hey there, you can hardly blame me, now can ya? I don't reckon there's a girl out there who'd be absolutely fine waking up like I did."

Ten's face also was slightly red as he replied. "Y-yeah, sorry about that."

Georgia mulled over the situation. "Y'know, I'm a little worried 'bout the gossip round here. Rivals or not, news or gossips travel faster than my favourite horse, and that's something, that sure is."

Ten gulped. "I-It'll be fine. We'll deal with that if it comes to that."

Georgia leaned back on her chair. Ten smiled and took her plates to wash and dry. As soon as that was done, Ten sat back down.

Georgia sighed. "Well, a deal's a deal. I'll tell ya what happened the night before you found me, huh?"

"You don't have to if you don't want to," Ten added hurriedly, but Georgia waved it away.

"I'm a woman of my word! Don't worry, I can tell ya." She appeared to hesitate. Her blush crept back into her cheeks. "...Just as long as this stays between us!"

Ten smiled and nodded. "Nothing we say now, nor this morning's events will leave this room."

"Well... You see, I kinda liked Ash... And I finally worked up the courage to tell him, but see, he didn't take that too well... He just refused me and I didn't know what to do..." Georgia began, her face as red as her hair. "So I ran over to Laney's and told her about it..."

**Two days earlier, 8:00pm. The Bluebell flower beds.**

Georgia was talking to Laney, just spouting her mix of disappointment and shock.

"I-I might as well just give up! How are things gonna keep after this?"

Hesitantly, Laney answered. "I know it was a little harsh...well... Maybe things can continue, like before any of this." she knew, deep down, she did not know whether she was telling the truth. But she wasn't about to say it aloud, definitely not.

Knowing her, Georgia had obviously thought about this for a while, but hoped for a more positive response from Ash. She'd known about Georgia's crush way before Ten even existed in Bluebell. Georgia sobbed about this. I just knew it... I just don't fit in..."

Laney turned sharply. "C'mon Georgia. You moved here 8 years ago, and we worked hard to show you that you fit in just fine. No one thinks you're different."

But no one thinks I'm anything special either, Georgia thought miserably. Out loud though, she whispered "Thanks... I think I'll ho clear my head for a bit...

Georgia started walking through the mountains to shake off these thoughts. She walked by the hand fishing stream, remembering how she and Ash used to play in the shallow waters. Walking past a deeper pond, she recalled scaring Ten with her cold water bottle. And finally, she reached the summit.

No matter how many times she saw this majestic view from the summit, it never ceased to amaze her. The snow capped mountains far off were dressed in soft white clouds. The great forest lay below like a green carpet of epic proportions.

"Hey there. Haven't seen you for a while." Georgia recognised the owner of the voice and turned slowly, knowing who she would see, but wanting so much not to see him.

She saw Kana walking towards her, grinning.

"What do you want?" She questioned him brusquely.

Kana sighed. She always hated him for no apparent reasons. Seriously.

"I don't get why you hate me so much. I'm just trying to talk to you."

Georgia knew she should think this one over, but her inbuilt hatred for the Konohanan horse caretaker drove her to lash out at him. "Maybe it's 'cuz you're arrogant. Maybe 'cuz you're an arrogant, brutal, selfish bugger who ain't gonna ever leave me alone!"

By the time he had realized she wasn't going to continue the rant. him, she was gone.

_Well that was fast, _thought Kana.

**9:00pm, the Bluebell woods.**

Georgia ran. She did not know where, nor did he care. She just wanted to escape. There was just something about Kana that made her want to hit him the second he opened his mouth. Damn, he was annoying!

She slowed to a jog, then a brisk stroll, and finally came to a stop, sitting down on the pier that Ten came to so often to fish.

Before she had time to contemplate, a fierce grunt came from directly behind.

She spun round, to be faced with a vicious boar, at least two-thirds her height, and much, much stronger.

She stared at it again, then screamed, but her scream was lost in the deep woods. Georgia's mind gave way to panic and ran for her life.

She did not need to look behind her to know that there was an angry boar chasing after her, with only one, clear intent. Intent to maim, for daring to step on its territory. Or intent to kill. Or break. Or perhaps decapitate.

What a time to be developing a sense of humour!

Georgia caught sight of the Bluebell gates. She was safe! Just... A few more steps...!

She had been so focused on getting to safety, she had not noticed the pothole which her leg had just walked into, and went sprawling in the air, hitting the brick walls of Bluebell firmly. Pain exploded in her head. Wave after wave of thick, red pain. The last thing she saw before darkness ate its way into her vision was the boat colliding with the wall, shaking itself and running off.

Then, she was dead to the world.

**9:30am, Ten's table**

"...it wouldn't have happened at all if I didn't lash out at Kana without thinking, though. So I reckon I should find time one of these days to apologise."

Ten sat at the table, listening to Georgia's tale. A full 5 second silence rang through the room, informing him that she had finished.

Ten broke the silence. "So you fainted... And you were there ever since?

"Yep. That is, I think I did, next thing I knew, I was here."

Ten. But obviously, to her, it was important.

"Alright, fair enough." Ten thought about how things were going to continue from this point in time. "I think the best thing to do now is get you home, and then you can tell your dad whatever you need to. Tell him the truth or something else, but as long as he doesn't worry about you too much, it's fine." Ten had a sudden idea. "Just as long as you're here though, could you have a quick look at my horse? He seemed a little off yesterday, but I didn't have time to check."

Georgia smiled "It's the least I can do to thank ya!"  
>It seemed she would be, as Ten predicted, fine.<p>

**That was long. But like I said, I couldn't stick to one week one chapter. I need more time to assure the quality of my chapters.  
>Rate and review please? Ten needs food! And reviews buy him food!<strong>


	10. Chapter 10: The Soup Battle

**Heya guys! I found myself realizing that I was delaying the one thing I had in mind since Chapter 4 (which I have yet to fix T.T), I kinda forgot about the soupy promise, but heck, I didn't want Ten to forget! And so he didn't. So, Let's see how Ten's Minestrone VS the WORLD goes! xD. Okay maybe not so much. **

Chapter 10: The second competition.

10:00 am, Bluebell pier

Deep into the woods, a fish landed out of the water. Ten was at it again, landing fish after fish on the banks of the pond. He cast his pole back and sat as still as a rock and waited. An immeasurable silence, then a quiet splash. At the first sign of the splash, Ten pulled hard, but not too hard, allowing the fish to feel the tug. As he felt the aquatic creature struggle, he would slowly raise the rod, assuring that the line would not snap, then a sharp tug, landing the fish on the pier. Before it could jump back, Ten slipped his fingers into its gills, dispatching it mercifully.

Ten smiled as he thought of the pot of Minestrone bubbling away at home. The soup needed about 2 hours simmering, so Ten was happy to go for his favourite fishing spot whilst waiting. The cooking competition started at noon though, so he had to be very particular about his timing.

He thought back to the previous day, where Mr Grady thanked Ten profusely for taking care of his daughter. Rather than pride or happiness, he felt more embarrassment than anything else. He wasn't use to taking the spotlight, even if it was just one family... Or, as Ten thought back to this morning, when he overheard some gossip, one village. It seemed Georgia was right about the speed of gossip. It wouldn't be long before Konohana knew about the event of Ten's 'Heroic rescue'. To hear them talk about it, he wrestled a boar away to save an unconscious Georgia.

Speaking of Georgia...

WHUMP

Ten didn't even need to turn around, but he did, smirking.

"Did you really think I'd be quite as careless as the last time, Georgia?"

She got up, dusting herself and holding her cold water bottle. Glaring, she looked at the tight piece of rope that Ten had tightened along the ground to trip anyone sneaking up behind Ten. "I reckon I made a heck of a fool of myself," she muttered, apparently, her good humor already returning.

"Yep. But you came just in time to remind me that I gotta get back and check on my soup. "

"You're entering the competition?" she noted with some excitement. Without waiting for an answer, she continued. "Laney's been helping me with this one, I'm gonna enter, and Laney herself will too. This is gonna be fun!"

Ten replied a little more seriously, "Only if we win. We got thrashed last time. But," He added, "this time, it won't be so easy for them."

"You got it!" Georgia cheered. "Now c'mon! Let's go get your soup!"

Ten smiled and got up, packing fish into the seemingly small backpack he had. 'Seemingly', because Ten had always somehow found a way to stuff an inane amount of objects in it.

As they walked, Ten asked something that he didn't want to bring up, but had to. "So how did things go with Ash?"

Georgia hissed "Not so loud!" She looked left and right, as though she expected eavesdroppers among the trees. "He says that although he'd rather not return me feelings, it'd be easier to continue as life did before any of this happened."

Ten sighed. "Hey, that's a better alternative than you could hope for!"

Georgia smiled weakly. "Your right. I guess I'd better give up on that idea."

They had reached the edge of Ten's farm. Remembering that Georgia too had a soup dish to submit, he turned and jerked his head. "Right. You can grab your dish if you like, then head out the the mountaintop first. I might take a while."

She nodded. "Alrighty! Thanks a bunch Ten!" with that, she skipped off to her house to collect her dish.

Ten smiled and strolled purposefully to his house, but then saw Makoda sitting there, with a large cart next to him.

Idea!

11:45 am, The mountaintop.

Ten arrived at the mountaintop with Madoka pulling the cart. There was a slight scene as the people from Konohana realized that Ten, the newcomer, was taking part in the competition. Visibly, most of the Konohanan's relaxed, sure that they would win since Howard was excluded this time round.

Ten looked around at the Konohana side and muttered darkly to himself. "Way to keep of the pressure..."

It began to dawn on Ten that maybe his soup might let the whole team down. What if Pierre simply scorned at his little bowl, and moved on? It was more than possible. After all, Pierre WAS a gourmet.

"Ten!"

Ten whirled around to see Hiro and Nori waving towards him, motioning for him to come over. He strolled over, slightly nervous of Bluebell's reaction.

Hiro cocked his head sideways as Ten stopped in front of him. Nori simply greeted him politely, which he returned and looked at Hiro.

"You're taking part in the competition today, I take it?" Ten mumbled something along the lines of agreement. His nerves were getting the better of him again. Damn.

"Ten, don't worry so much. Pierre may be a little critical, but he's fair, and he definitely knows what he's talking about. Just stay calm, keep your spirits up, and you'll be fine."

Normally, Ten would be grateful at the support, but today, his nerves controlled his emotions. "Easy for you to say. You've entered more than fifty of these things." He found himself saying cynically.

It seemed Hiro had no encouraging response to this. His supportive face seemed to wither slightly, but he muttered that Ten would be fine anyway. When Ten looked back at this moment in the days to come, there was nothing Ten could say other than that Hiro was a great and loyal friend, despite Ten's mood-swings.

The loud voice of Rutger boomed across the mountaintop. "Settle down, settle down. The competition is about to begin! On the other half of the mountain top, Ina was calling Konohanans with words to a similar effect.

At last, all were settled, and the judge, Pierre, as usual, had just made his way to the tables. Rutger began the opening speech. "Welcome to the second cooling competition this year! As you all know, the theme this time is soups! Pierre has once again made time in his busy schedule to come to our festival, so let's give a round of applause!"

Polite and warm applause rang through the crowd. Rutger continued. "And now! If Team Bluebell could please take to the table."

Larger, more enthusiastic applause came as Ten, Georgia and Laney walked towards the table, looking calm and collected. Inside, however, Ten squirmed awkwardly. His doubt had apparently not left him. He looked round to Laney and Georgia, who, on closer inspection, both were as uncomfortable as Ten. Although it wasn't great that his team was not confident, the idea that he was not the only one unsure about this competition focused his mind.

Ina took up the speech and called Team Konohana to the opposing table. Hiro, Gombe and Nori walked up in a single line.

Ten barely heard what Pierre had said in his opening speech. He was too nervous. Glancing around, he saw that Georgia's soup was a thick-looking egg soup, Laney's being a caramel-colored French onion, complete with toast and cheese.

Stepping away from the table, the contestants waited for Pierre to continue. Pierre strolled to the Bluebell table. "And what might this be?" he asked, eyeing Georgia's soup. Although he tried to hide it, it was obvious he didn't think much of the dish.

"It's egg soup. Give it a try, tastes better than it looks, I'm tellin ya!"

He took the metal spoon and tasted the bowl's contents.

Pierre's eyes widened. He licked his lips and took another spoonful. "You are right about this, it does taste better than initial impressions. The presentation isn't perfect, but..." he searched for the right words. "The onion in this accentuates the hidden sweetness of the egg and butter. Good job!"

Georgia thanked him and moved back, giving Ten a knowing wink.

"And Laney? What have you for me?" he asked expectantly, for she had often impressed him with her food.

She moved forward with her onion soup, explaining as she moved. "This is an improved version of my last French onion soup, since the last one didn't go as well as I'd hoped." Pierre smiled and drank the soup. His smile widened and he praised her lavishly. "Laney, you've done it again. This would be a 5 star city restaurant standard onion soup. The toast is still slightly crunchy, and the cheese is not overdone. Well done."

Laney was close to tears as she nodded vigorously. Ten hadn't ever seen her so happy during his entire stay at Bluebell.

"And now... You are?"

It took Ten a couple of seconds to realize that Pierre was talking to him. "Oh... Erm, my name is Ten... I made Minestrone soup, for today's competition."

Pierre studied the soup curiously. "In all my years judging these two villages, I believe this is the first time anyone has ever made Minestrone here."

Ten couldn't think of a response as the short gourmet walked forward and took the spoon.

Silence. The seconds which ensued felt like hours. They might well have been, since the tension was suddenly at an all-time high. Were the Konohanans wrong to prejudge Ten? Or was he going to fail miserably?

Pierre put down the spoon and faced Ten with a straight face. "Ten, have you cooked this before? I mean, before coming to Bluebell?"

Ten's heart leapt to his throat. He managed to swallow and speak in a small voice, "Not before coming here. But I've practised a couple of times since coming here."

Pierre cocked his head sideways. He spoke simply and clearly. "Its brilliant. Keep it up." With that simple statement, he walked over to the Konohana table.

A great cheer came from the Bluebell side as Ten sighed a huge breath of relief. He had done it, or at least come to a standard that the judge approved of. Now, it all came down, Ten thought, to how good Gombe was. Hiro and Nori were probably of the same high standard from the last competition.

On the other side of the mountain, Hiro, Nori and Gombe put up their soups. No one on the Bluebell side could hear what they were saying, but it did seen that Pierre was enjoying himself. Ten managed to make out Hiro's corn soup and Gombe's miso soup.

"Alright!" Ina shouted loudly. "Pierre has tasted an critiqued all entries. Please wait while he makes a final decision."

More silence. Ten heard a slight choking noise as Laney hugged Georgia tight enough to start suffocating her. Ten began to understand he amount of rivalry placed on food around these parts.

It all can down to this.

"The winners are Bluebell!"

A colossal din as the Bluebell villagers celebrated as one. It had been a whole season since they had last won a competition, the winter soups festival. Simultaneously, the opposite site groaned in shock of losing their 3 time winning streak.

"Ah. Well done Bluebell, but I must go now, a gourmet's schedule is a busy one! Au revoir!" On that elegant parting riptose, Pierre left.

"That was amazing!"

"Did you see Laney's soup?"

"And Pierre's reaction to Ten's!"

Ten felt pride roaring in his chest. It was certainly a great feeling, although admittedly, he began to feel the inter-village rivalry. He was really becoming a part of the village.

"And now, home to a delicious feast!" Rutger announced loudly.

Ten sighed. It wasn't a Bluebell festival without food.

**And I think I just beat my word count... somewhere around 3000 over words I think. Thank you so much for your support guys! **

**In reply to a PM, I have only an extremely vague plot in my head, I actually kind of make it up as I go along.  
>Now I need to sleep. Shoo.<strong>


	11. Chapter 11: A hint of the past

**Hey guys! After reading several other TToTT fanfictions, I got re-inspired to write a story. I started a new one... but then I remembered i hadn't finished this one so, here we are again!  
>By the way, I recommend several of the fanfictions on the site, including 'This one's for you' and 'Intertwined'. Not bad at all.<strong>

Chapter 11: A secret among the shelves.

In the middle of the night, in a farm on the outskirts of Bluebell, a lamp switched on.

Ten sat at his desk, writing in a blue notebook. It was a simple, blue book with no particular pattern, but it was filled with Ten's thoughts, feelings and plans, and the cover was imprinted with gold letters, 'TEN'S LOG'. It was his way of keeping track of thoughts and emotions that he wanted to spill.

Ten finished writing about the soup competition. It was fun, certainly. And a huge sense of confidence and self-achievement was flooding his veins. He had to unload some adrenaline into the log to get to sleep.

Ten was always worried that a villager would find his log and read it. If they did, they might find out a little more about Ten than he would have liked. Some thing had to stay private. Especially the past.

He flipped back to the beginning of last year, then tore out about 15 pages. He grabbed the pages and stuffed it in a pale brown folder, then looked at the old, slightly rickety floor. Choosing one, he tore off a floorboard. They were pretty old and rickety, and so it was easy. Ten slipped the folder into the dark space and refitted the board.  
>There was no need for anyone to know.<p>

The next day, 4:00pm, Grady's Ranch.

'Where in hell has Ten gone?'

Laney blinked. It wasn't like Georgia to swear, though Ten definitely did, coming from the city. 'What do you mean?' She asked gently.

'He's been at his farm the whole day! Maybe he has a lot of work, but no one's ever seen anyone lock 'em selves into their farm the whole day, right?' Georgia fumed. He STILL hadn't returned the bell that she misplaced/dropped.

'He might have gone to Konohana to buy seeds or something.' Laney chuckled. 'He's probably busy doing something else. Don't need to bother him if he doesn't want it.'

A lightbulb seemed to light up above Georgia's head. 'Right. If he's not coming here, I'm going over there!' Before Laney could react, she leapt off the fence and ran towards Ten's farm.

Laney sighed. That was just how Georgia worked, leaping into everything, head first.

4:15 pm, Ten's farm.

A head poke around Ten's unlocked door. A head with golden eyes and a mass of burgundy hair. 'Ten?' Georgia called.

No response.

She yelled louder. "TEN! ARE YOU IN HERE?!" Her voice rang through the room half a second after she'd closed her mouth.

No response.

In a huff , she stepped inside. "I'm coming in!"

Take a guess.

At that, she calmed down. He really wasn't in. Perhaps foraging in mountain or in Konohana, like Laney suggested. She walked in, as though drawn by the powerful magnet called curiosity. Perhaps she though she would find something of interest. Looking at Ten's table, she saw a writing notepad that had a checklist of 'daily morning work', the things he did every morning before setting out, away from his farm. Breakfast, tend the cow, tend to the two chickens, tend to the crops, brush horse... This was a really long list!

Georgia put down the notepad and began to walk away from it. She felt her foot get stuck from behind the desk, and she fell over, right into the bookshelves. The bookshelf swayed dangerously, then righted itself again. Georgia rubbed her head, where she had knocked it. "Owww..." she sighed. Two books fell out of the shelf, narrowly missing Georgia's head.

Two books, a blue one and a brown one. She picked up the brown one, noting the lack of title on the book, and opened it. It was a sketchbook of sorts, filled with drawings of different things. The front few pages were colorless, yet accurate sketches of certain people, none of which she recognized, their names written at the top of every page. 'Clara,' 'Yuri,' 'Aaron'. Each depicting these people's faces with impeccable accuracy. Sketches started coming into color.

Then there were suddenly a large rise of drawings of a thin, pretty looking girl, all marked with the name 'Clara'. All dated around mid-July of two years ago. Although her curiosity was peaked, Georgia flipped further through the book. 'Yuri' was starting to crop up more often, then a few landscape sketches, then recent ones of Bluebell, the mountains, Konohana, then...

Her own face.

Georgia froze. She hadn't expected to see her own face in the sketches. Not only was it accurate, down to the shape of her nose and her freckles, but the colors Ten added gave life to the face, making it seem almost like a lifelike mirror, except constantly frozen in her laughing expression. Georgia smiled slightly. It was cool, finding out about Ten's hidden talent of sketches.

She slotted the brown book back in, then turned to the blue book. Imprinted on the front in gold was 'TEN's LOG'. She debated slightly whether to open it. She had always wondered why Ten had come to here instead of staying wherever he was living before. But would Ten object to her peeking into his log?

Georgia opened the book.

The first log was almost 4 years ago, just after his 13th birthday, which was the 2nd day of summer.. She partly wished Ten has done a self portrait, she wanted to know what he looked like when he was younger. The logs began with normal, everyday events of a young teenager. School, a couple of holidays, some arguments with siblings, nothing of interest. Then at about 3 years ago, his talent for writing seemed to have matured. Georgia felt like she was living a story rather than reading past logs. She continued to read on. She giggled at reading about his past crush on 'Yuri', pitied him for the loss of one of his greatest friends, 'Clara', who'd moved to Australia, then, at about the end of that year, something strange had happened in the book.

There was a large gap in the book, where pages had obviously been torn out.

Now why on earth would Ten rip out pages?

She skipped through the torn pages, occasionally picking up a half torn word, 'Uncle' or 'pain', none of which boded well. The next log, which was at the beginning of this year, was about his first day in Bluebell. She shut the book and replaced it on the shelf. Why would Ten have ripped out pages? Did he want people to not know what had happened in the past 2 years? Or did the past two years carry some sort of pain that he didn't want to see?

"You could have asked, you know."

Georgia spun round. Ten stood there with a heavy looking bottle of fertiliser. For once, Ten did not seem his normal, happy self, completely devoid of the tired happiness he had felt 10 minutes earlier.

Georgia looked down at her feet, looking not unlike a child who had been caught with his hand in the cookie jar, except, of course, the consequences were a little more than a few stolen biscuits.

'Let me guess,' Ten said, his voice flat, 'you were looking for me after I didn't pass by you at all this morning, so you thought you'd find me here, then found my log and started reading?'

Georgia nodded shamefully, mumbling about her tripping into the bookcase, but it made no difference. She read the books, and that was all that mattered. She fervently hoped he wouldn't be too mad.

Instead, he sighed resignedly, then asked in a weary voice, 'How much did you read?'

'Until your first day in Bluebell.' Georgia was finding it hard to look back up at him, regardless of how dull the floor looked. Ten sighed, then walked over to the wooden chest and slung his backpack and fertilizer bottle into it. He walked over to the stove and started washing various vegetables, preparing for dinner. Without looking back at Georgia, he asked, "Had any specific reason for looking in my log? Or were you just curious?"

Georgia winced. "I-I wanted to know why you came here. Y'know, it's not a bad place, but I doubt a fine life like the one you already had was a bad place to stay either."

Ten sighed. The past was not his favourite topic. "I'm sorry, it seems rude, but I'm going to have to ask you to leave." Georgia looked up, her mouth opened, but before she could protest or apologise, Ten interrupted firmly "Now."  
>She nodded silently and slipped out, shutting the door behind her. By this time, it was late, maybe 7pm and her dad would no doubt be waiting for her to come home for dinner, so she set off at a brisk jog towards home.<p>

What had happened to Ten last year? Why had he been so angry? No matter how well he may have tried to hide it, he didn't approve of what she had done. After all, he'd never kicked somebody out of his house before, not even when Cheryl burst in and claimed to be hiding from ash in a game of hide-and-seek. He wasn't angry back then, not even impatient, or so Ash said. So what had happened? 

**Yeah, it's a shortish chapter, but it's the holidays, so chapter 12 isn't far off! I'm using a couple of people I know in real life for names, sue me. (Don't actually sue me, because I cry easily.) xDDD Joking! But seriously don't sue me.**


	12. Chapter 12: Stuck

T/N: *Stumbles awkwardly into room, sleep deprived.*  
>Oh hey! What's up? I got a new chapter up, after more than HALF A YEAR away... Not too mad? .<br>Haiz...

Chapter 12 : Stuck

"Ten, don't worry about me, go!" A girl with soft, brown bangs and blue eyes, the exact same colour and shape as her brother's, hissed at Ten.

Ten hugged her. "Thanks sis. We'll see each other some day. Just... Good luck coping with him." They both knew who he was talking about.

With one last glance, Ten hopped into the cab, holding all his luggage, which would later be transferred to a horse-cart.

He felt a sensation that he had not felt since third grade. He was guilty. Guilty at leaving his only younger sister to fend off for herself against someone he was escaping from himself.

Loss of balance came to him. Suddenly, he was falling. Somehow. He landed on his arm with excruciating pain. He turned around to hear his sister's voice call out to him...

7:30 am, Konohana Clinic

"SIS!"

Both Hiro and Ayame sprang away at Ten's sudden reaction. Ten himself had sprung up from the bed, instantly awake.

"Calm down, Ten. You're alright." Ayame coaxed Ten calmly. "You're in Konohana clinic."

Ten breathed deeply, as though just having come from a fight. "Sorry," he mumbled, "nightmare." Ten looked around and finally absorbed what Ayame had said.

"Wait, what? I'm in... Why? What happened?" asked Ten, having no recollection of any serious incident. As he tried to prop himself up on his pillows, a searing pain wracked his chest and left arm.

"Whoa, there, settle down. You don't remember at all?" Ayame frowned as Ten shook his head mutely. "Hiro found you lying in a ditch in the mountains. You fell a good 12 feet , and fractured a rib, and... Your arm was severely broken, which is why," Ayame paused, anticipating outrage and protests, " you need to stay here until you're better. That will take about a month."

"A MONTH?" Ten repeated incredulously, wincing slightly.

"A month, _minimum_." She clarified, as stern as Ten was incredulous.

"But doctor, you can't-"

"Don't tell me what I can and cannot do, you will stay here until you are fit for work, and as a doctor with 6 years of of experience, I can safely say an injury like this will not heal for a month, and that's if you're lucky." Ayame finished with a tone of awful finality.

Ten's face crumpled. "But what about my farm?"

"Some Bluebell residents have volunteered to help with your farm. I believe Ash will be taking care of the animals, while Cam will be doing your crops."

Guilt filled Ten's chest. Forcing more work on the pair was never on his mind. They already had enough to do without having to tend to another farm.

"Why don't I remember any of this? I thought I was..." Ten trailed off. What WAS he doing? He didn't even remember anything since he walked out to go to Konohana.

"Trauma, I would say, at a guess." Ayame suggested. Hiro nodded in agreement. "Sometimes, people forget what injured them until something unlocks those memories. And that's not really important, because they generally contain obvious injury memories."

Ayame left the room, leaving Ten to brood over his predicament.

"How long have I been here?" Ten asked faintly, to no one in particular. Hiro took initiative, however, and answered.

"About 2 days, and it's the last day of spring today." At these words, Ten almost hit himself. The end of the first season and he was basically an invalid.

"Cheer up, Ten." Hiro said, patting his back. "It's not so bad. The month will be over before you know it. And I'm sure your friends are more than capable-"

"I'm not too worried about the farm, those two are perfect for the job." He cut Hiro off, thinking of Cam. He was not exactly friends with Cam, but seeing as Ash trusted him, the inseparable duo would care for his farm fine. "What's annoying me is this situation. I'm rendered useless!" Ten burst out fiercely. "By the time I get back, summer will be over, I'll have missed probably 4 cooking competitions, and I'll probably have to miss the one after that because I'll have no crops to cook with! Cam may be great with plants, but he deals with flowers, not crops, he won't have any crop seeds to plant!" He paused, breathing deeply.

After a minute, he calmed down and humbly turned to a slightly surprised Hiro. "Sorry about that."

"It's quite alright, it's perfectly-"

Whatever it perfectly was, Ten never found out. A bell from the front desk rang a high, metallic note through the room. Hiro gave Ten an apologetic look and rushed to the desk.

"Hello, Nori. What can I do for you?" Hiro's voice rang through the wooden clinic, followed by an altogether quieter female voice. "Ah... Hello Hiro. My leg has a little injury."

A moment's silence. "Ah, I see. Come with me, I believe I need not have Doctor Ayame, to deal with something small like this."

Together, they walked behind the partition, though not before Ten glimpsed the pair of them, both frowning, though one with concern, the other with pain.

Ten's gaze unfocused from the pair. He couldn't see them anymore anyway, what with the paper partitions. What on earth was he to do for a month? Write on paper to paste later in his log, perhaps? Or a letter to his sister? Time-consuming though those two tasks might be, they could only consume so much time.

Carefully sliding under the sheets so as to not knock his injured arm and rib, he tried to fall asleep. After several hours, punctuated by sharp spasms of pain in his lower left chest, he succeeded.

A week later, 10:30 pm.

The week passed quickly, thanks to the constant stream of visitors, Georgia, who had travelled to Konohana more times than she had in a year, was constantly worried about Ten, despite repeated reassurance that the worst was over.

"It's alright, Georgia! I know you're worried, but I'm over most over it. I'll be back in mid-summer!" Ten insisted. It was a great feeling knowing that he had a friend who cared for him so much, but not so great making her worry. The last thing he needed was to cause _more _stress to the Bluebell villagers.

Ash and Cam had come over to update him on the farm, and Cam had promised in his quiet manner to keep the crops growing. During the short visit, Ten could almost feel the brotherly bond between them.

"Your cow was in great shape hen I started looking after her, Ten." Ash complimented him. "You sure you haven't done this before?"

"First time, really. Beginners luck, I guess." Ten replied modestly. "I'm surprised that this farm thing is working out as well as I'd thought."

Cam raised his eyebrows, as if to question his farming skill. Ash rolled his eyes and nudged him with his elbow. "Apparently, Cam thinks your skills with your crops needs work. Don't worry," he interrupted Ten's apology, "he's got it covered. Just learn when you get back, and focus this month on resting."

A month...

The thought had racked his every moment alone with frustration. So many people had visited him, yet only one week had passed. Writing was getting better, less painful, as time went on. His ribs, however, we're not healing as quickly. Sharp spasms of pain often stabbed him in mid-movement.

Ten put his pen down, sealing the letter in an envelope that Hiro had given him, addressing it to his sister. "It's the end of the first week of Summer, Ten." Hiro mentioned to him, suddenly.

Ten turned to Hiro, who was swivelled in his wooden chair to face him.

"So..."Ten wasn't sure what to make of this random announcement. "Why do you suddenly mention that?"

"Oh, I forgot, you don't know. The mail man will arrive here this week, and so you will most likely be able to pass your letter to him, which he will then pass to the Town Hall. Your letters, Ten." He clarified, when Ten looked blank.

"Oh, right. Thanks." Ten hadn't realised how much Hiro had been taking care of him and his problems. "Hiro, how old are you?"

Hiro looked up from his wooden clipboard and smiled. "16 by the end of the year, but my birthday is in Winter, so I'm closer to 15."

Ten was surprised by how responsible the 15 year old boy was, studying so hard to become a doctor, staying in this village just to stay under the guiding hand of Dr Ayame.

"If you don't mind me asking, Hiro, what about your parents?"

Hiro looked up again, this time in surprise. A second of pure silence ensued, causing Ten to wonder whether he had pushed the wrong button. But then Hiro chuckled. "Then again, I suppose it may well look odd. A pubescent boy studying in a village in the middle of the countryside to become a full-fledged doctor. It was natural for you to ask."

More silence.

"I think i will tell you, but I would appreciate if you didn't tell anyone else. Except Kana perhaps, he already knows."

Ten nodded, genuinely interested. He leaned forward, only to receive another stabbing pain to the rib, forcing to lie against the wall again. Hiro's eyes were fogged over, and he didn't even see this.

"My parents never actually approached the field of medicine and healthcare. They were well off, no doubt, a banker and his wife, the lawyer. Me and my sister lived in the city for quite a while. Yes, I had a sister, Ten, named Yumi, only 3 years younger than me. We were similar in many ways. Birthdays, both in winter, likes, appearance, and a strong love for our family. Our lives were as fortunate as possible."

"Then Yumi got sick."

Ten heard a bitter note in Hiro's voice. The story was not as powerful as the realisation of how Hiro never showed a sense of dissatisfaction or bitterness until now. "Her condition was unique. It was a very odd sickness, one that the doctors could not pin down. After her birthday, 3 days into Winter, she would show signs of a flu. Fever, cough, a cold, a little more serious than most, but nothing especially dangerous."

"Unfortunately, Yumi had a weak body. The flu was enough to pull her to her bed, made her invalid, once every year. About 2 months, then she would recover around Spring. And it was the week before Spring 5 years ago, when I was 10 years old, that I was put in charge of her for one night. A simple task, while both my mom and dad had to go to work, for just one night. It would not happen again, they promised, just one night, I would have to take care of her."

"I do not know what I did that night. I fixed her dinner up like my mother would, and I sat beside her as she say up and ate her porridge. Then..." Hiro paused. It seemed to be taking quite some determination to finish the story. Ten was quite prepared for Hiro to stop, but it seemed the boy was intent on finishing what he had started.

"I fell asleep. I failed to watch her carefully enough, and when I woke up, she was not beside me. Instead, she had climbed out of the doorway, outside, to wait for our parents. In the cold, icy night."

"By the time my parents had returned, she was ice-cold and a fever running off higher than we thoyght possible, almost reaching 40 degrees, but not quite. We had her sent to the hospital, but there was nothing the doctors could do. After all, they still had yet to know the cause of her condition, and so was unable to cure her."

Hiro lapsed into silence. Ten sat in a mix of sadness and shock. Here he was. Frustrated over a one month delay, while Hiro's sister had to endure that twice as long, every year, stuck in the same room.

"Ever since then, i have aimed to be a doctor, and have left my parents in order to do so. No one should have to suffer the way Yumi did, and that's where I hope to come in."

Ten sat, still shocked, then patted Hiro on the back. "Thanks for sharing this with me Hiro, means a lot to me."

Hiro gave himself a little shake, then smiled. "It is all in the past. All we have left to do is look to the future."

Ten nodded. A tinkle of a door bell, and Ayame's loud call of "I'm home!" shook them both out of ther low spirits. Hiro was able to wear such a convincing smile on his face everyday, despite the pain of the past lurking beneath his mask. Ten could at least do the same, while stuck here.

He could wait.

T/N: I bet you thought I abandoned this fanfiction! And truth to be told, I did!  
>So bye! "walks out"<br>WAIT HOLD ON, I WAS JUST JOKING.  
>Seriously. I'm going to try and continue this, but this time I learn from my mistake. I will NOT have a deadline for any of these.<br>And by the way, this story isn't a romance based story, though it does have hints of it, so don't spam me with suggestions, though I am open to them!

And one more thing. I am planning some oneshots soon, so inbox me or review this and suggest some!  
>Thanks guys, Tensei out.<p> 


	13. Chapter 13: Mail

Writer's noteIf anyone can help me with this stupid formatting problem, please review or PM me and tell me what's going on. Everytime I add Italics or bold, the text squishes together without spaces.  
><strong>See? Maybe not, but if I'm right, this text will squish. If I'm wrong, I'll look like an idiot, but whatever.<strong>

Well anyway, until I find a fix, or someone tells me how to fix it, get used to unformatted text!

I'll answer some questions at the end, and please, if you have a one-shot request, please tell me, I'm not exactly brimming with ideas on this thing, this is very roughly planned, then the rest is on-the-fly.

Now let's see how Ten is doing after 3 weeks in Konohana Clinic!

10 am, Konohana Clinic.

"This isn't an early morning wind-up, is it?"

Ten was gaping at Ayame's words in shock, while she grinned broadly. "No, kiddo, I'm serious." Ayame chuckled. "I'm a little surprised myself, but I said a month would heal the injuries, and now I'm seeing enough improvement in your ribs and arm after about 3 weeks. You barely have to worry about your arm now, I could take that arm sling off right now and it wouldn't make a difference."

As if on cue, Hiro untied the sling and let Ten's arm drop to the mattress. Ten flexed his hands experimentally. No sharp pain, and no trouble turning his wrist. Perfect.

"What about my ribs? Are those fine too?" Ten asked eagerly. The clinic was a nice place, but 3 weeks in it could take a toll on him, and it was getting a little on the boring side.

Ayame hesitated. "They should be fine, but watch out for them, they might still be a little weak. No running about for a while though." Ayame chuckled and added, "Much as I know you love to, try not to jump around the mountains for another couple of weeks."

Ten couldn't help but laugh at that. Everything seemed suddenly funnier, more light-hearted.

"Oh, that reminds me," Hiro suddenly added, looking up from the sling he was washing. "Apparently, the mailman was delayed by personal affairs, he is only coming today." Hiro chuckled a little. "I suppose giving him your letters would be a tad redundant now, what with you out and about, you could pass it to the town hall yourself. Remember, Ten, don't stress the ribs too much and-"

"Hiro, I don't remember that this was your clinic." Ayame interrupted him sharply.

"Yes ma'am, sorry ma'am, not to happen again." Hiro apologized with remarkable speed, fueled by fear. Ayame could be a frightening individual when she wished to be.

"Alright then, I suppose you're free to go by this afternoon, just let me file the paperwork." Ayame concluded.

Ten thanked her and Hiro and tried walking about the clinic for a few minutes. His injured ribs did indeed mean he could not move his upper torso too quickly, but could still handle basic farm work. It seemed that he would do fine, once he was home.

Home.

Ten thought of the word as it passed through his mind, like something you would see out of the corner of your eye, and find that there was nothing there. He had begun to think of Bluebell village as his true home, devoid of fear, overworking and wariness, a safe haven in comparison to the home he left.

A stab of guilt ripped through Ten as he thought about his own sister, leaving her behind in the fearful, overworked, wary environment. It was not a place he dared to face himself, which was why he felt so guilty. But-

"The mail man is here!" Hiro exclaimed, peeking out the door. And in about 5 seconds, the mail man on question stepped in.

He was about Ten's age, wearing a deep maroon jacket, with a feather cap. But Ten was not looking at his clothes, he was frowning at his face, as though confused. The man grinned at the doctor and her assistant and waved them. "Chill, peeps, no mail today." He chuckled in a light voice.

He was about to depart before catching Ten's eye, at which both people froze.

Emerald eyes met the sapphire ones.

There was an odd silence that spoke of recognition. A memory passed between both people in that moment, and they simply continued staring at each other. And then-

"What the f-"

"DIRK?"

Ten gaped, then ran over and hugged the boy, who was roaring with as much laughter as Ten felt inside himself. Ayame and Hiro watched the scene with some bemusement, but neither of the laughing pair even looked up.

After a two year gap, the best friends were finally reunited.

12:30 pm : Dirk's house

"What's it been, one and a half years?"

"Two, actually." Ten sat in Dirk's small but cozy cottage. It had nothing distinguishing itself apart from a mailbox sign outside. Otherwise, it was a simple, Konohanan cottage.

"Three years." Dirk sighed. "Hell, time flies. It feels like only yesterday we were hangin' out, running from your pops for staying out too late. How's your little sis?"

Ten looked up. "I wish I could say that I'm a big, responsible brother, and that I know exactly how my sister is, but..." Ten trailed off.

Dirk looked up mildly. "I have to say Ten, I was pretty damn surprised to find you here. " Ten nodded, but his eyes narrowed.

"If you don't mind Dirk, I'll tell you when I'm up for it, I'm not exactly comfortable with it."

Dirk shrugged. "No biggie, I'm cool with it. I know half the story already, I've been with you and your sis for years."  
>There was a kind of warm silence, the kind that could only occur between two individuals who were comfortable with each other's presence. "Look, I'd love to just hang out and catch up on the last couple of years, but I've actually got work to do, and so do you, by the sounds of it. You've gotta get back to Bluebell pronto."<p>

Ten shook his head. "Yeah, actually, you're right." He got up and turned around. "See you around, Dirk."

It was time to go home.

4 pm, Bluebell.

Ten passed the stone gates of Bluebell with some relief. At heart, it seemed, Ten was more suited to Bluebell. The people, the food, the lifestyle, it was all so comforting. Konohana, while lively and interesting, was not Bluebell.

"Ten!"

Well that was fast.

Ten turned barely quick enough for him to see a mass of red hit him hard. He fell on his back and winced at the small, but noticeable, stab of pain in his rib. Over his shoulder, Georgia's voice was blurred.

"... back! I thought it was next week! C'mon, you gotta tell us about this kinda stuff, we missed you!"

Ash, who was standing next to the floored pair, grinned. "Let him breathe, Georgia."

Georgia stopped and backed away, breathing heavily.

"It's good to see you all too guys." Ten replied, still massaging his own chest. "If you don't mind though Georgia, I'm not FULLY recovered yet, so watch the body slams."

Ash laughed, while Georgia still stood, grinning broadly.  
>"Sorry for all the work I made you and Cam do, Ash." Ten apologised humbly. "I'll be back to work now, though, so thanks for taking care of my farm."<br>Ash waved his apology aside and smiled. "As you wish, master." He replied in a fake-posh voice.

"Dismissed." Ten retorted, grinning.

Ash dragged Georgia away, despite her protests, and they vanished into the quiet town square.

Ten chuckled. They were still the same, after all. Just the way he liked it. With that, he walked towards his farm.

He was home.

8pm, Konohana town hall.

"Done for the day, ma'am."  
>Dirk stood at the counter, facing the town mayor, with a slightly weary look on his face. It was a little tough, walking about the village, delivering goods and letters from outside. But it was a job someone had to do, Konohana was the only village with postal service to the outside world, which was why part of his job was to commute between the two villages to deliver outside mail to both towns. It was more fun that way anyway, sticking to one village alone was so... <em>boring<em>.

Ina faced him, smiling. "Thank you for your work here today, Dirk. I hope you enjoy life here, and continue to work hard." As Dirk waved and turned to the door, Ina stopped him. "Oh, and Dirk, a letter came in for Bluebell, but you'd better keep it, to deliver tomorrow." Dirk came back and took the letter with little interest, and his eyes roved over the envelope.

He froze.

Ina glanced over with concern. "Is something wrong, Dirk?" He shook his head in silence, then turned around and bid the mayor good night.

To Tensei Kano, Bluebell.

From: Tess Kano

Writer's note: DUN DUN DUNNNN... Hey, I had to throw in SOMETHING. The whole fanfic was getting so anticlimactic.

Anyway, more apologies for late uploads, but get used to it, I'm not a regular like akihiko-senpai.

Someone asked me through PM why I got back into this fanfic. Without disclosing his name, I can answer that I noticed the Tale of Two Towns fanfic scene was getting quieter and quieter. Someone's gotta do it, right?

Oh, and I want your opinions on this, guys. I'm going to change the title of this fanfic. What should it be?  
>a) This and that is life<p>

b) Running

c) Home

d) Something else, you guys can suggest.  
>Thanks guys! See ya next chapter. Tensei, out!<p> 


	14. Chapter 14: The truth

**I think I fixed the formatting problem :D alright, some are a little confused, so let me clarify the formatted text.**

**Bold** - **is my writer's notes.**

_Italics - is only used when emphasizing a word, except when you see a huge amount of words, its generally the character's thoughts._

Underlined - do I really need to explain? TITLES.

**There, happy now? xD  
>Alright, let's get started.<strong>

Chapter 14: The truth

8:30 am, Bless farm.

"Here, Chiba! Here, no no no, not there- Oh, god dammit."  
>Ten swore exasperatedly when his dog ran through the crops to get to Ten, destroying a few of them in the process.<p>

_Oh well, at least I CAN look after my crops now. Ah, it feels great to control your own farm. _

Ten smiled and stretched, filling his lungs with the cool, crisp, morning air. Nothing could go wrong... unless the next cooking competition didn't go well, at least.  
><em>I'll worry about that next week. Now, I'll just take good care of Bless farm.<em>

Ten almost laughed at the thought. _ I'm really getting into this farmer thing._

12:00 pm, Bluebell

The sun blazed down on the village of Bluebell, as summer came to a peak. Even the birds seemed reluctant to chirp, to fly free, it was simply that hot.

Fortunately, Ten and Georgia had long since known that Grady's horse barn was cool and airy, no matter what time of year.

"You wanna go riding after this?" Georgia asked, when they had finally finished telling each other how things had been in both villages.  
>"Maybe in a bit, wait for the place to cool down." Ten replied. He glanced outside and laughed. "I just feel sorry for Cam, he has to man the flower stall in this,"<br>Georgia rolled her eyes. "That boy? Hell no, he was too worried for his stupid pot plants. He didn't move them out at all, in case they wilted." Georgia looked out towards the barn door thoughtfully. "Sometimes, I just don't know about that boy. 5 years in the village, and he only talks to 3 people; Howard, Laney and Ash. I mean, sure, hell if I know why he came here at all, but he could talk to us! He's an odd one." She finished, still in thought.

_Wait... what?_

"Wait... you mean he wasn't always here, like the rest of you?" Ten asked, frowning. He was under the impression that everyone here had been here since birth.

"Nah, he moved in here 5 years ago... I think he was 12, and we were all eleven... So he's a year older than us."

_Interesting. Oh well, still longer that I could say for myself._

Amidst the summer heat, Georgia's father's voice rang out. "Georgia! Where did you keep the horse brushes, I can't find 'em!"  
>Georgia rolled her eyes. "Looks like riding will have to wait till tomorrow, Ten. I gotta go, sorry". With that, she ran out of the barn.<p>

Ten walked out of the barn as well, as he was not likely to stay in an empty barn for long. "Alright, see ya!"  
><em>Ahhh... so what should I do now? Fishing in this heat would be terrible. I took care of the animals, and I don't have enough ingredients to experiment with new things in the kitchen... What did I used to do before coming here? Guitar? Maybe I could ask Sheng to craft me a guitar... but that would take a week at least... Argh, dammit! Could someone come up and give me something to do?! Please! I'm bored!<em>

"Ten!"  
><em>Wow, really? I was joking.<em>

Ten turned to see Dirk running towards him, a little faster than what was nessecary.  
>"Hey Dirk! What's up? You deliver Bluebell mail too?" Ten yelled back.<p>

Dirk ran straight towards him and slowed down, puffing and panting. "Yeah... I deliver... Bluebell's... too... but Ten..." Completely out of breath, he handed Ten a letter from his brown leather satchel.

Little did Ten know that that letter would bring up some very unpleasant memories.

1 pm, Ten's house.

"Are you okay, man?"  
>Dirk looked at Ten, reading the letter. It was extremely short, though it came with a red card, holding a photo of a pleasantly lit building, "Ville Inn"<p>

Ten sat down roughly on a chair, passing Dirk a cup of water. "Take a chair, man. This is gonna be a long one."

Dirk sat down and drank deeply, looking as though he had run a mile. Ten raised an eyebrow at this. "Sorry," Dirk sighed. "I ran straight from Konohana to here without a rest, so..."

Ten waved this aside. "It's no big deal. But like I promised, I'll tell you everything." Ten settled back as Dirk leaned forward expectantly. Ten thought deeply; where to begin?

"You know us from back then when we were 14, Tess was only twelve, but we all hung out anyway. It was a pretty good time, and nothing huge came up. Then one night, about a year after your family moved to... I can't quite remember actually, but that's not the point, my mom died in a major car accident." Ten ignored Dirk's horrified expression and continued. "I know, it was a pretty low point, but we learned to get over it, we had to because of what came next."

"My dad was always working out till late hours, from morning till night. There was no way he could leave us alone in the house while he was at work. So, he asked a friend to help take care of us.

"It was fine, really it was. A little quieter now that my mom wasn't around, but the man who took care of us told us to call him 'Uncle Peter'. Of course, he was no relation of ours, hell, if he was, I'd kill myself. He wasn't bad at first, and soon, we all grew to like him quite a bit. Then, my dad made him godfather, officially. It was clear that if anything happened to him, all property would go to him, until I was an adult, then it would come to me."

"It wasn't long after that, something DID happen to my dad. He got mugged in the streets and was sent to hospital. Peter was officially put in charge of us. Not long after that... " Ten stopped, wiping tears away. He wasn't aware that he had started crying, or when he had either, but he found his cheeks wet. Ten shook himself and forced himself. "My dad died too."

Dirk stared, horrified. "I'm... I'm sorry, Ten." He finally said. "I liked your old man, even if he didn't like me much... I'm sorry." He was quite taken aback by all this. "I think I understa-"  
>"No, you don't understand!" Ten barked. "No one could, no one except me and Tess!" He found himself striding across the room, almost restraining himself from hitting the wall.<br>"That... man, he took the money my dad had and used it for whatever he wanted, drinking, holidays, whatever he wanted, he had no family, of course not, no women would want him!" He stopped, and breathed deeply.  
>"Every time he came to 'look after us', he would come drunk, unwilling, even violent. We would have to keep so quiet... and even worse, he was supposed to help us clean the house, instead, he forced us to work constantly, cleaning, cooking, still having to keep up with school, then yelled at us for not doing it properly, because he was drunk half the time, he couldn't tell whether it was done properly..." Ten sighed... "It was worse not having mom and dad around I guess..."<br>He looked at Dirk, eyes desperate, and asked him in a voice Dirk thought he would never hear.

"Dirk... please, I need your help."

Dirk was stunned. Ten was actually pleading with him. "You don't have to ask me like than, Ten! I'm here for you, what's up?"

"Tess and I developed a little code. If the letter was on blue paper, it was casual, yellow meant she would need a little emotional help, and if it was red... "He waved the scarlet piece of paper. "That meant it was the final straw."

"What do you-" Dirk began, frowning. Ten cut across him.  
>"It means she's run away from home. To this inn." He handed Dirk the photo, which had an address on the back.<p>

"I need you... to guide her here." Dirk frowned, but Ten pressed on anyway. "The city is 4 hours away by horse, then half an hour by train... I never told her where I lived, in case Peter read those letters, just about the area itself."

A moment of silence passed. Dirk breathed in, gathering his courage, then nodded.

"Thank you, Dirk." Ten was visibly relieved.

"I'm going to have to talk to Ina about this, But I should be gone by tomorrow evening."  
>It was a mark of their friendship that Dirk didn't even consider saying no. It was comforting, somehow, in that insane life, a lifetime ago, a friend had come out of it and found and trusted him<p>

him.

**And so, the feels begin...**

**I've decided the name of this fanfic, and I have to give credit to Obsidian Aquamarine and Kitten1313 for it. Changes will take place shortly.  
>Thanks so much for sticking with me for over a year, just to get this done. It means a lot to me. And yes, chapters ARE speeding up currently, don't expect it to last much longer though.<strong>

**Read and rates are appreciated :D Tensei out!**


	15. Chapter 15: Waiting

Chapter 15: Waiting

**2am, Breeze farm**

_Gotta be awake now, don't I?_

It was the middle of the night. Ten had never slept in Bluebell with a particularly easy conscience, but tonight, after baring his past to someone, even someone as close as Dirk, his conscience was as troubled as his first night. Tess... was going to live here. Was there any problem with that? No... no, not so much... but what if Peter found her? No he couldn't... Could he? Tess could be really smart in practical situations, which was why he was so worried that she had run away.

_If she moves in with me, which she'll have to, because she can't take care of a place alone at 14 years old... Well, she could, but I would be more comfortable that she lives with me first to get her bearings here. I came here knowing exactly what I was expecting... Well, for he most part. I guess I'd have to take the couch... But this isn't a permanent solution, much as I want her to, she can't stay here forever... I'll think of something I guess. But what if..._

**1 pm, Bluebell mountain**

"C'mon Ten! Me and Dakota are leaving you in the dust!"

Ten coughed out the said dust and peered ahead. Georgia looked back at Ten, thought the floating clouds. Ten's amiable voice floated to her. "I wasn't exactly aware that riding necessarily meant racing, Georgia. But if it's a race you want..."

And with that, Makoda and Ten shot out of the dust and sped ahead, narrowly missing a collision with Georgia's own horse.

"It's a race, you're gonna get!" They both yelled excitedly, in sync.

Georgia shot off after him, laughing.

Eventually, they settled down on the cliff's summit, still breathless.

"You're pretty good, Ten." Georgia panted. "We should do that more often."

Ten didn't even have the energy to respond, flat on his back, exhausted.

Georgia sat up and looked out over the horizon. "This view, it just gets me every time. Now, I'm not one to go all googly eyed over pictures and paintings, but I've lived here for about 8 years and I still love it. Every time. I used to to think-"

But she never finished her sentence. She looked over at Ten, who had fallen asleep.

Silence, while Georgia stared at his sleeping face, then scooted closer. "Ten... Ten..." She didn't get a response, nor did she really expect to. She looked at his face and saw worry lines on his forehead.

Georgia stiffened._ I used to think I knew him best out of everyone here, but Ten's... Really troubled, and I can't say I know why. I guess there are a lot of things I don't really know about him..._

She stared, then looked away, flushing and suddenly fidgeting.

_Aaah, is that really how it is? Maybe... Maybe from that first moment I tried to approach him while he was staring at my house... Or maybe when he comforted me in my lowest moment... Or any of those times we were talking, just talking..._

_Maybe that's when I fell for him..._

**4pm, Summit**

For the second time in his life, Ten woke up, not really remembering how he got there.  
><em>What just happened? I think... I think I was riding with Georgia, and then... then what?<em>  
>He got up and looked for her, still a little confused. It looked like he'd passed out with the combined exhaustion of riding and lack of sleep. That would explain it.<p>

He looked down both paths, then, remembering the events of the previous night, walked down the road to Konohana, still a little confused by the afternoon's events. It seemed to be becoming a habit, getting himself in more drama than he intended to. Fainting, saving Georgia, coming to the party and getting blamed for it... it seemed like more had happened to him than most of Bluebell's villagers.

Ten came by the first bamboo stalks with more ease than his first time into the cultural village. After spending so much time here, he had been comfortable walking in and out of the village, friendly with everyone... Well, everyone except that odd, burly man with the eye-patch, chasing Rahi around the village, he had been a little too odd for Ten's taste.  
>"Oi! You, Ten!"<p>

Speaking of odd men...  
>A short man in a ridiculously furry panda suit called out to him from a larger Konohanan hut. "When are you moving to this village, eh? We're all waiting!" He yelled, with a voice larger than his stature.<p>

Ten laughed, knowing that the man was prone to over-exaggeration. "Maybe one day, Sheng!" Saying the man's name aloud reminded him of something he had wanted to ask since the day before. "Actually, could I talk to you for a minute?"  
>Sheng's face did not change, but he gestured Ten to come in, then walked in himself. Ten followed suit, a little nervous, seeing as he never really talked with the blacksmith much. He worked on tools, but could he work on instruments?<p>

The door shut behind Ten, while Sheng stood behind his anvil, waiting for Ten to continue.

"You make a lot of tools Sheng, and you've said and proven many times, these tools are the very best. But, I wonder. Are you also the best when it comes to fine-tuned work like musical instruments?"

Ten tried to make it sound polite, but mildly challenging, knowing that, from all the stories Hiro had told him, the man had a flair for challenge.  
>"Of course!" Sheng boomed. "There's another fellow in your village... I think his name is Mikhail? I work on his violin all the time! Oh, I'm not making up stories, boy, I know he's not there now, he leaves every summer, since he can't stand the heat, but he and I are good friends, and I have no problems doing his violin."<br>Ten's face split into a smile. "That's amazing! Listen, If you have the material, and if you don't I could gather it, Could you please make me a guitar? Not for free, of course." He finished.  
>Sheng thought about it. "1500g." He offered.<p>

Ten took an equal amount of time and shot back. "A thousand."  
>Sheng took one final thought. "1100g and it's a deal."<p>

Ten smiled. "Done." And with that, they shook.

"I'll get right to it, I have the material, and not a lot of work to do anyway. Hey, why didn't you ask the other woman from your village?" Sheng asked suddenly.  
>"Apparently, she's a builder for heavy-duty work, not a craftsman." Ten thought back to Eileen, the aforementioned 'other woman', who had profusely apologised, even though Ten insisted it was not her fault. It seemed everyone in these villages had a habit to be overly polite to newcomers until they were friends... Except Kana, with his reputation of a prankster to keep up with, but he greeted Ten in his own... unique fashion.<p>

He thanked Sheng and walked out, feeling distinctly happier than the night before.

_Now, let's check on Dirk, shall we?_

Dirk was actually right outside Kana's house, talking to him, Kana looking oddly worried.

As Ten came closer, Kana glanced at him and left quickly. Ten stared after him, confused. What did he do? Another prank maybe? Maybe not.

"How's it going, Dirk? Did I do something? Kana didn't look too happy to see me... or was that a coincidence?" Ten asked Dirk, who was arranging his satchel.

"Dunno. He seemed a little peeved to see you, that's true. Not sure why. But on yesterday's topic, I need to leave a little later than expected." Dirk replied, a little shortly. There were a lot of letters in the satchel. Ten partially wondered how the small leather bag could hold it all.

"Later? Did Ina not let you go?" Ten frowned.

"Nah, I'm allowed, but tomorrow, not today. On the upside, I can leave first thing tomorrow morning." Dirk grimaced. "Mailman's a job that they gotta have here. The only alternative is people posting requests, which very few people do." He patted Ten on the back. "Don't worry, I'll do it man. Just give me time." With that, he ran off and gave a wave.

_Well... Looks like I have to wait a little more. I guess I have nothing to do except wait._

_Why... why the hell is something as simple as waiting so painful?_

**I dunno, but I predict this chapter coming out pretty late. This is kind of a filler chapter, because next chapter is where the big stuff comes out sooo... gimme a break. I worked on a Oneshot, if you haven't already seen it; Fireflower. Give it a quick read!**

**I'm happy to see that some of you are still with me, reading this thing, and let me wish you what is probably a very late Happy new year! 2013! Ahahahaha, I won 10 bucks over a bet that the world didn't end :D **

**Oh well. Could someone teach me how to separate parts of the story please? I don't know how.**

**Tensei out!**


	16. Chapter 16: Michelle Choi

_**Chapter 16: Michelle Choi**_

**11:10am, Bless farm**

Ten sat in his cottage, staring at the hardened lump that was supposed to be a sponge cake.

_I'm lucky it isn't the actual cooking festival, or I'd have to turn in... This thing..._

A knock on the door. Ten turned around and walked to the door automatically. Georgia stood there, smiling a little too cheerfully.

"Hey Ten! I just thought I'd-" she glanced inside and frowned. "What's the rock doing on the table?"

Ten sighed. "It was suppose to be a cake, but my mind's on other things, I guess, I lost track of time, and..."

Georgia winced. "Aw well. Better luck next time, and we'll smash them at next week's Cooking festival!" She seemed perfectly normal, yet there was something extra bubbly about Georgia today. Ten couldn't put his finger on it, and decided to leave it. Most likely his imagination at work, or a difference in his gloom and her cheer.

"Yeah well, did you come over for any reason?"

Georgia shrugged. "I'm due to get over to Laney's place in 'bout an hour, thought I'd kill some time."

Ten put on a convincing smile and gestured for her to come in, which she did, bounding happily like a terrier.

"By the way, if you don't see me later today, it's probably cuz I wanna spend the whole day at Laney's, got it?" Georgia turned smiled yet again.

"..." Ten peered at Georgia, as though considering something. "Okay, what's wrong?"

Georgia gave an unconvincing start. "What do you mean? I'm the same as normal, ain't I?" She laughed nervously.

"Your acting like you just got to know me yesterday, being really bright, trying to make a first impression or something. No need to act like that, you're my very best friend here, most likely always will be." Ten seemed to see right through her.

Georgia blushed at the compliment, but something seemed almost sad about the smile she gave him. "Well, I think I'd better go. I wouldn't want to make Laney wait.

A moment of silence, before Ten smiled. "Alright, I wouldn't want to make you late. See ya." With that, she left quickly.

Ten glanced at the clock.

_There's something she's not telling me. Whether she's guilty or whatever, she's acting different. That much is obvious_.

The clock ticked as regularly as ever.

11:15.

**1pm, Bluebell Town hall.**

"Mayor Rutger, sir?"

Rutger looked up at Ten, alarmed. "What is it?" He asked with a sharp tone.

Ten sighed, knowing exactly what the town mayor was worrying about. "I don't want to move to Konohana."

"Oh." Rutger returned to his normal smile, though it looked a little sheepish now. "Sorry, Ten, I'd just hate to lose you. You've become a real part of this village."

Ten smiled at the compliment. "Thank you sir, I understand. But I have something to tell you." Rutger looked at him, smiling, waiting. "My sister will be coming to live here. I can deal with her in terms of living quarters, she can live with me. Is that alright?"

Rutger considered it, then nodded and pulled out a single sheet of blue paper from a file on his right.. "That's fine Ten. If you could just sign these papers here to officially assign yourself as he guardian?"

Ten sighed with relief, originally anticipating some problems.

_Then again, this is Bluebell, one of the most laid back places I've ever been in...I would be a little surprised if there was any real trouble._

Without warning, Ten sneezed.

Rutger looked on with concern. "You're not catching a cold, are you my dear boy?"

"Ugh... I don't think so..."

**Howard's Cafe**

"It was so weird, and Ten figured me out straight away!"

Georgia was fretting over her odd, overdone act this morning. Laney, who was waiting for her cheesecake base finish baking while she was mixing the filling, stopped mixing for a moment and considered it. "Well, you used to talk to him pretty easily, now your acting all odd and awkward, getting nervous for no reason, maybe that's it. Maybe he prefers the way you used to act."

The redhead sighed. "That's just it. The old me was what Ten saw as his best friend Laney. Maybe that's all he'll ever see the old me as. That's why I tried to be a little skippier today. But... He saw right through it."

They had the kitchen to themselves today, since Howard was busy repairing a leak in the roof that conveniently dripped any rainwater onto his makeup table, rather irritating him. Already, a mix of sweet and buttery smells emanate from the kitchen.

Laney turned to Georgia, setting down the bowl. "Georgia, if Ten does fall for you, you'd want him to fall for YOU. Not a more bubbly you, just you." With that, she pressed the bowl of cream cheese filling into Georgia's open hands. "Mix that, I need to get the base out."

Georgia did as she was told as Laney turned around and opened the oven door. Carefully, she used a cloth to pick up the tin from the inside of the oven, and placed it on the rack sitting on top of the oven.

Meanwhile, Georgia stirred the mix absentmindedly. How had her affections so quickly switched from the gentle, teasing livestock boy that was Ash, to the quick and quirky city boy, within the space of a few weeks? Her crush on Ash seemed like a lifetime ago.

Laney suddenly turned to Georgia again. "Georgia, do you think you might be just rebounding off Ten?"

Georgia sighed. She had already considered the possibility that her feelings had indeed been born from her heartbreak with Ash, and the fact that Ten was the first to comfort her in that period of time.

"I-I dunno... I don't think so. I fell for Ash, mainly because he was the only guy in Bluebell that didn't act like he didn't want to know me. No offense, but Cam scares me a little." Laney rolled her eyes, knowing Cam's kind inner nature. Georgia missed it and continued. "Ten's a little different from that... He's welcoming, and frankly, really quick-witted."

The blonde smiled understandingly, but did not manage to say anything before a huge thump was heard from upstairs, followed by Howard's deep and easy voice, which now sounded slightly muffled. "I'm alright!"

The pair chuckled at that, then turned to each other, grins widening. Before they knew it, chuckles had turned to outright laughter. Within seconds, they couldn't stop laughing.

Cam came out of his room and stared, bemused, at the sight of both girls crying with laughter.

"Weirdos." He muttered, and slipped out.

**1:30pm, the City**

In the paved streets of the city, it began to drizzle lightly.

This place was called a city only by its residents. Others, those who dropped by from such places as London and New York, insisted that it was a town. The metropolitan people may well be right in a sense, for when the sun had set, right after the end of a busy and bustling day at work and school, many neighborhoods fell silent as a quaint country hamlet, leaving only the restaurants and pubs open in the very centre of it.

The weather here was more humid, slightly hotter, and definitely more polluted, but also more advanced in terms of roads and technology. Despite this, Dirk continued to exit the subway station with relative ease. He was genuinely used to the hustle and bustle of minor cities like this. Though, if he was to be honest with himself, he had never been to a properly large capital city. And didn't want to of course, that was the reason he moved to Konohana.

Dirk came out of his reverie and referred to the photo. Where could this blasted inn be?

"Excuse me sir," He stopped a man in a black coat, "do you know where-" but the man shook his head quickly and moved off.

Dirk grimaced. He had forgotten how distant the city people were from strangers. After all, they had somewhere to be-

His train of thought broke off as he spotted a familiar logo of a house with a flower pinned on top of it.

There!

Dirk quickly made his way to the building a block away and walked in.

The inside was a very fake country style inn, but cosy nonetheless. He stepped up to the counter at which a short woman in her mid twenties greeted him. "Hello! How can I help?"

"I'm looking for a girl who may have come here recently, Tess Kano?"

The woman frowned and looked at an open notebook on the desk. After a moment of searching, she replied, frown still in place. "We have no current person here named Tess Kano. But if you mean the girl that came here 3 days ago, then she's right upstairs... She didn't put her name down as "Tess"..."

Dirk's eyes roved the notebook quickly, and looked back up with a smile before the woman noticed. "I'm sorry, I mixed her name up with someone else. Her name is Michelle Choi, not Tess, sorry." The woman nodded and guided him up to room 3B.

"She's in here, good day sir." With that, she walked away. Dirk knocked on the door quietly and waited.

The door opened.

A girl slightly taller than the woman who led Dirk up here appeared in the now open door frame, with her soft brown hair arranged neatly with a hair clip, and blue eyes shielded by frame of thin glasses. For a minute, Dirk wondered whether he had really got the right room. The girl seemed a little apprehensive. "Um... Can I help you?"

Dirk's doubt vanished at her voice, which hadn't changed much. He smiled. "Hey 'Michelle'." He chuckled, placing extra emphasis on her supposed name. "You haven't changed much, down to how smart you could be. I like your new name."

The girl's eyes widened with hidden recognition. "Wait... It... That can't be..."

Dirk grinned. "Great to see you again, Tess."

Tess gasped and pulled him into the room, shutting the door. Inside, she shut the curtains and took off her glasses and hair clip, letting her brown hair to fall back into their natural bangs. When she turned to face him, Dirk almost laughed at how similar she had grown to her brother. There was no mistaking her now, the same face, the same eyes, though admittedly, Tess's eyes had appeared softer, despite having the same colored eyes. They could have been twins if she hadn't looked a little younger.

"Dirk?" She looked as though she couldn't believe her eyes. Then again, she probably didn't. How was she to expect a childhood friend instead of her brother?

"Look, I'm sure you have a hundred and one questions to ask, but it would be safer to get back to the place that Ten's at first? It would be better for you, since you're obviously taking so many precautions against Peter right?"

Tess opened her mouth to ask how he knew, then closed it. "You're right. Is... Is it far?" Dirk understood that she was nervous about having to change her life so drastically.

"Yes." He answered truthfully. "But Ten's right there with you, and so am I."

"Right." She breathed in deep and put her hair back up in its neat, clean condition and clipped it with the light blue hair clip. "You have to call me Michelle in public till we get there, right?"

Dirk nodded, thinking it was rather overly secretive of her to take a pseudonym just to hide from one drunk, but went along with it. "Alright... Michelle." They both smiled, though Tess's own was rather tentative, as she donned her thin glasses. She took a large bag out of a closet and nodded, They walked out, side by side. The woman at the counter signed their check out relatively quickly, and Dirk handed the fee for 3 days stay, at which Tess began to protest.

"Don't worry, that's Ten's money, not mine. What, you think he wouldn't take care of you?"

As Tess began to relax, the woman at the counter cocked her head to the side. "If I may ask, what is your relation to Miss Choi?"

"My relation?" Dirk said, clearly thinking fast. "She's my sister. I'm Dir-" He coughed, changing tack at the speed of light, "Derek Choi."

The woman nodded, satisfied, and bid them farewell. They walked out quickly, into the open looked at Dirk in mild amusement. "Derek?" She giggled.

"I was thinking fast on my feet, T-... Michelle. I just said the first thing that came to my mind." Dirk growled. He sighed and led her to the train station.

"C'mon. Let's get you home."

Tess looked puzzled at his choice of words. "Home? Can I even call a place I don't know 'home'?"

Dirk replied lightly, "Well, Ten will be there, and in my book, you're at home when you're safe with your family."

Tess smiled. No matter how much he changed, Dirk still retained his old personality that she had known from her childhood there.

**6pm, Bluebell square**

"So in other words, your sister's coming to stay?" Ash clarified. Ten nodded, his smile a little strained.

It was the evening, and Dirk was due to bring her down to the Bluebell gates. Ten couldn't help but stare at the gates, waiting and wishing. He barely looked at Ash, even though they were talking to each other.

"She'll probably stay with me, helping with the farm a little." Ten continued. "She's a lot more shy than me though... Not like Cam, he's shy in the way that he doesn't really care." Ash nodded, almost impressed that Ten had worked that out so quickly. "She's more quiet than shy, actually. Could you be friends with her?"

Ash grinned his goofy, yet somewhat comforting grin. "I can try. And seeing as I haven't failed to make a friend yet, I think I can deal with her. Only when I'm off work though, I-OOMPH."  
>Ten turned to Ash just in time to see a figure about half Ash's size pounce on him, forcing him flat on his back. Ash struggled with the figure, grunting. "Cheryl, mph, get, OFF!"<p>

He pushed his little sister off and took deep breaths. His little sister giggled at him and stood, dusting her skirt. She didn't seem capable of completing a sentence without giggling.

"Mom says you have to come in and help with dinner!" The girl reported. Ash sighed and gave Ten an apologetic glance, then ran inside, his sister hopping after him.

Ten sighed. He had put his animals in for the night early in order to greet Tess.

The life he escaped half a year ago seemed so far away, it wasn't even funny. Ten left first in order to see if there was a place right for them. Tess, more dominated and affected by fear than Ten was, stayed behind. He'd remembered, stopping along a few towns and finally finding information about a remote valley in which two

When he had found out about these 2 remote villages, he immediately sent letters to them and explained how he had been looking for a place to take residence, and that he would be willing to pay. He had also arranged to buy, with some money he had saved earlier on, a horse and cart, which he still used. Much to his surprise, he had come, only to find himself having to pick between the two villages. Rutger had even been kind enough to give him the house, on the condition that he had to take an active part in the town's festivals.

Ten was jolted out of his thoughts by a loud voice that could only belong to Dirk. His head jerked up and he saw the two of them, walking down the path to the gates, lit red by the setting sun. Dirk looked tired, but Ten only had eyes for his sister. Tess had glanced at the gates of Bluebell, apparently interested by the village's quaint atmosphere, when she met her brother's eyes. Both siblings froze.

"TEN!" Tess's unbridled shout of longing rang across Bluebell as she ran to her brother and leapt into his open arms.

Thump!

Similar to how Ash's little sister tackled him, Tess did the same to her own sibling out of pure joy, though she was much heavier, though Ten was on the ground, winded, though it had only been half a year apart... They hugged each other with tears of happiness in both pairs of eyes.

Dirk smiled, waiting for them to calm down. He never quite had that amazingly tight bond that these two did with his own brother, Ivan. There was simply too large a gap in their ages, and they didn't treat each other as equals. Not that Dirk hadn't tried to. It just didn't work out.

Ten got up, eyes still a little wet, and bumped His fist against Dirk's. "I really owe you, Dirk. Thank you so much." There were no other necessary words as Dirk turned and walked slowly up the mountain. He lifted his hand over his shoulder and kept walking, his signature 'goodbye'.

"C'mon, Tess, I'm gonna show you to your new home."

And they walked off towards farm, Ten's arm still around Tess.

Yet across the square, a stunned redhead stared, trying to absorb what she had just seen. Georgia had not heard any of the conversation, but had seen the look of tender happiness in Ten's eyes, the look she had never seen before. The world could have ended, and she couldn't have received a bigger shock. She turned sharply and ran into her house, not believing, not _wanting _to believe, what she had just seen. An unknown girl marched in to Bluebell and stole Ten away from her, how was she to respond to that?

_Ten's already got someone else..._

And in her room, alone, Georgia began to cry.

**Confusion! This chapter was a refreshing and fun one to write, I gotta say. Maybe one of my favorites. Oh well. Hope you enjoyed, if you did, rate review and subscrib- wait, whoops, this isn't Youtube xD**

**See ya soon guys, I'm still own to oneshot requests. **

**Tensei out!**


	17. Chapter 17: The new girl

_**Chapter 17: The new girl**_

It was pretty late into the night, the temperatures dropping from the midday summer heat. The lights all over Bluebell had been long switched off in all households. Ten's head suddenly shifted from under his blanket, his eyes wide open. He had not managed to get much sleep. Nothing to do with the fact he was on the couch, but more to do with the multiple problems and questions flashing in an out of his mind.

_There's no reason to be like this! Tess living here won't make any difference except that my mind will rest easier. _

Would she fit in with the rest of the village? She was not the best at making first impressions, and he was anxious that she should enjoy the new place she called home.

Ten heard a sigh, similar to the one he was holding in.

"Can't sleep sis?" Ten asked suddenly, his voice echoing in the almost pitch black room.

Tess looked up in surprise, not knowing that he brother was awake. She sat up on the bed, quiet and thoughtful. "Yeah... I'm... Just still a little... I dunno, I feel as though this is a dream, I just left everything I've ever known behind for a rural village 5 hours away from a city that was already 6 hours away from home, by bullet train. Just made me realise how far away I am..."

Ten sat up and switched on a small lamp. "Heck, I can't sleep either. Want a little midnight feast?"

Tess's eyes widened. "Are we even allowed?"

Ten sighed. "There's no one here to tell us what to do from now on, sis. We live our own lives now. Although that means we have to take on the responsibilities together, that also means we have our own privileges. Now c'mon, let's see what I have left in the fridge."

Both siblings smiled and leapt out of bed, not bothering to change out of pyjamas. No one could tell them that was the wrong thing to do after all.

_This is what she needs, _Ten thought_, after a couple of years under someone like... Him... A little freedom is a little new at first, but it's all tonic for us to start our new lives._

"So, omelette or milk and jam sandwiches?" Ten called out.

"Milk and sandwiches." Tess answered as she began slicing the loaf of bread from the storage with quick, efficient accuracy. If there was one thing that came of the years of oppression, it was that both brother and sister were remarkable quick at housework.

Eventually, after a plateful of sandwiches and a couple of milk bottles, they did indeed get back to bed.

It wasn't long until Ten fell asleep, now with an easier mind and a full stomach. Tess, however, looked out the window for a minute longer.

_Dirk was right. I'm not far from home at all. My home is right here, with Ten. _

And she too fell asleep.

**8am, Ten's cottage.**

Tess woke up, groggy after last night's little feast. At first, she woke with a shock in the wooden cabin, then remembered where she was. She glanced out the window and saw Ten, huffing as he pushed a cow larger than himself out of the barn. The cow seemed almost annoyed at him, but soon looked quite happy to munch on the grass outside. Tess watched as her brother breathed a sigh of relief, walked back towards the door and opened it.

Ten looked remarkably okay, despite having pushed what looked like a 180 kilo cow out of the barn. He noticed Tess and smiled. "Morning, sleepy head." He winked. She returned the expression with a smile and got up, noticing for the first time Ten's odd attire. Then again, maybe she was the strange one here.

"What's with the clothes? I mean, they look good on you, but where'd you even get them?" Tess asked, opening her bag to find her toiletries.

"Oh right! I forgot, these are Bluebell clothes, traditional. I asked Rutger for your own set, one second." Ten took out a folded set of a velvet-red vest and a plaid, ankle-length checked skirt, complete with laced hairband. It looked pretty odd to Tess, and she was reluctant to put it on. She slipped into the washroom to change into it.

It took her about two seconds to figure out that, charming as it was, it was not for her. The dress, while comfortable, made her feel as though she'd been transported back 2 centuries. Tess changed back out of it, instead opting for a more familiar set of clothes, a simple white T-shirt and shorter black skirt, and held her hair back with a blue hairband. Much simpler.

Ten chuckled when Tess came out wearing her more casual outfit. "Figured the bluebell set wouldn't suit you. Oh well, I'll ask Nori to make some clothes you can work in." Ten faced her, thinking it through. "I can get through the daily farm chores myself, but... I wonder... Tess, how about you take care of the crops? No offence, but gardening doesn't exactly seem to be my forte." Tess gaped.

"I-I'd love to help your farm Ten, I really want to, but I'm not sure I can help the crops, I've never done them before..."

Ten smiled."That's fine. We can learn together, I'll ask Cam to teach us one day."

Tess looked blank for the third time that morning. "I really don't know anyone here, Ten, and trying to guess what these people are like is getting a little frustrating." She began to laugh as Ten smacked his forehead.

"Crap, I clean forgot! Alright sis, give me a minute and I'll give you the grand tour."

He ran to the washroom to change, and Tess sat on the bed, wondering what to make of it all.

**9:00am, Bluebell square**

"I-It's nice to meet you!" Tess stammered, attempting and failing to meet the florist's harsh gaze.

Ten sighed. Maybe Cam wasn't the best introduction to start with.

Cam continued to stare at them with his emerald eyes, cool and unconcerned. Eventually, he gave a thin smile and replied her nervous greeting. "Good to meet you too, Tess." With that, he turned back to his flowers.

Ten rolled his eyes and dragged a confused Tess away. "Don't mind him, he hasn't been easy on me either. Guess he doesn't care that much. He seems pretty good friends with Ash though." Ten ran his hand through his hair. "You gotta lighten up too, sis. You're so nervous every time you meet someone new."

Tess squirmed, knowing how true that was. That was just how she was though. Her friends back at home said it was one of her qualities that made her cute, but she found it nothing more than a hassle "I can't help it, I'm nervous around new people! You know that!"

Ten sighed and pushed on into Howard's cafe. Somehow, she had never picked up his daring, go-for-it attitude, making for rather awkward introductions.

"C'mon, we're past the biggest introduction, he's about the least sociable guy you'll find here in Bluebell. The rest will be easier, so loosen up."

The bell tinkled as Ten opened the door. Tess got a glimpse of the inner cafe, a warm, inviting looking dining area, before the large bulk of Howard took up most of her vision. "Well, hello there! Welcome to Howard's cafe!" He chirped in his... unusual manner. Tess mustered a polite smile and waved weakly, faltering a little at the makeup on Howard's face. At the sight of Tess, Howard stopped and cocked his head. "Why hello! My name is Howard, pleased to meet you, you are?"

_Oops, guess I should have warned Tess..._ Ten thought. He didn't think to tell her about Howard's eccentricities. Hopefully, she would get over the initial shock quickly and find his easygoing personality like he did.

"Hello, my name is Tess Kano, I'm Tensei's sister. It's... nice to meet you!" She managed to get out the words without stuttering. Howard's eyes widened and continued to introduce himself to Tess enthusiastically, when Laney came down the stairs, most likely wondering what all the noise was about.

"Oh hey Laney." Ten greeted. "Sorry for being here early, I thought I'd introduce my sister to the village." He nudged Tess in the ribs, and she quickly followed his statements, introducing herself with the same words she greeted Howard with. Unlike her previous words, however, she seemed suddenly more nervous, tumbling over her words.

"My name is Ten- er, sorry, Tess Kano, I'm my... er... Ten's sister... Sorry! Erm... It's nice to meet you..." Laney had clearly seen a problem, but pretended nothing was wrong and smiled at her, for the sake of keeping the conversation straightforward and comfortable. It wasn't long till Tess eased up a little and began to laugh.

"If you can cook, I'd love to have you over to cook with me." Laney smiled easily. Tess perked up at the offer and nodded, but then shrank back.

"Ah... I love to cook, but I'm... more of a baker than a cook." She seemed almost ashamed to admit it. Ten began chuckling at the side, while Howard giggled a little. "Hey! Ten, not funny!" She pouted.

"Ah, don't get me wrong, sis! I'm laughing because..." Ten gestured at Laney, whose eyes were sparkling with interest. Tess looked confused, then gasped with the understanding of some kind of sixth sense that only teenage girls seemed to possess.

"You too?" She whispered excitedly. Laney nodded just as thrilled. Ten's chuckles grew louder, but the two girls were already giggling just as excitedly.

_Now this... this is alright. _Ten thought to himself. _7:30 in the morning and she's already made a friend. _It was the one thing he had been nervous about. Tess was always a polite, yet quirky and fun socialite, but only to people she was comfortable with; if it was a new face though, she suddenly became shy and restrained, unwilling to delve too quickly. Fortunately, Bluebell citizens pulled you in willingly, rather than waiting for a signal.

The bells hanging on the door tinkled as the door opened again. Heads turned to the door, to see a mass of burgundy hair, followed by a familiar looking round face. Georgia stepped in, looking distinctly unrested.

"Hey, Laney. You got a sec? I need t-" She stopped when she saw the scene before her. Ten, with a small smile on his face. Laney, talking with the new girl like they had been best friends for years. Howard, observing the whole scene with an unusually high amount of eccentricity, even for him.

A small, awkward silence formed. Ten seemed not to notice, and he stepped forward. "Oh, hey, morning Georgia. Perfect timing! Let me introduce..." He slowed to a halt when he noticed Georgia's look of mixed shock and disbelief, along with the bloodshot eyes. "Georgia, what happened? Are you oka-"

SLAM.

The door banged loudly, echoing through the room and sending the crash across the town square. Georgia left in a flash of maroon, leaving an excessively quiet kitchen scene. Laney looked with mixed horror and guilt at the closed doorway. Howard's carefully tended face mirrored Ten's look of confusion. Tess looked to her brother, hoping he would explain. By the look on it though, he was just as clueless.

A door opened behind them, quietly, as Cam's head poked around it. "Anything wrong?" He asked, in his quiet monotone. When no one replied, he grunted and shut the door again.

No movements.  
>No sound.<p>

No reaction.

Just the faded echoes of a door being slammed, and a distinct, unexplainable feeling of guilt.

**T/N: BOOM. **

**Hey, guys. It's true, I lost interest in this fanfiction completely. In fact, I still have very little interest. I'm pretty sure you guys figured that by the excessively short chapter. But I'm not one to leave things half-way. I planned out the rest, and I'll finish it.**

**Reviews.**

**ObsidianAquamarine: Thanks for the follow up, Diane. I'll finish this, trust me. I hate leaving things halfway.**

**Bloomscool: Yep.**

**For those of you who want to know why I left this place, I'll give it to you straight. To me, it's a dead community. A few chapters every few weeks maybe. No offence, but in comparison to the Sword Art Online community that I moved into, this one is so slow. I literally get responses within the hour there, and people update maybe once-twice a week. Of quality writing.**

**Tensei Out.**


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